Cancer in Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes

Background:

A prospective cohort of Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome (IBMFS) will provide new information regarding cancer rates and types in these disorders.

Mutations in IBMFS genes are relevant to carcinogenesis in sporadic cancers.

Patients with IBMFS who develop cancer differ in their genetic and/or environmental features from patients with IBMFS who do not develop cancer.

These cancer-prone families are well suited for cancer screening and prevention trials targeting those at increased genetic risk of cancer.

Carriers of IBMFS gene mutations are at increased risk of cancer.

The prototype disorder is Fanconi's Anemia (FA); other IBMFS will also be studied.

Objectives:

To determine the types and incidence of specific cancers in patients with an IBMFS.

To investigate the relevance of IBMFS gene mutations in the carcinogenesis pathway of the sporadic counterparts of IBMFS-associated cancers.

To identify risk factors for IBMFS-related cancers in addition to the primary germline mutations.

To determine the risk of cancer in IBMFS carriers.

Eligibility:

North American families (or other eligible families) with a proband with an IBMFS.

IBMFS suspected by phenotype, confirmed by mutation in an IBMFS gene, or by clinical diagnostic test.

Fanconi's anemia: birth defects, marrow failure, early onset malignancy; positive chromosome breakage result.

Diamond Blackfan anemia: pure red cell aplasia; elevated red cell adenosine deaminase.

Dyskeratosis congenita: dysplastic nails, lacey pigmentation, leukoplakia; marrow failure.

Shwachman Diamond Syndrome: malabsorption; neutropenia.

Amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia: early onset thrombocytopenia.

Thrombocytopenia absent radii: absent radii; early onset thrombocytopenia.

Severe Congenital Neutropenia: neutropenia, pyogenic infections, bone marrow maturation arrest.

Pearson's Syndrome: malabsorption, neutropenia, marrow failure, metabolic acidosis; ringed sideroblasts.

Other bone marrow failure syndromes: e.g. Revesz Syndrome, WT, IVIC, radio-ulnar synostosis, ataxia-pancytopenia.

First degree relatives of IBMFS-affected subjects as defined here, i.e. siblings (half or full), biologic parents, and children.

Grandparents of IBMFS-affected subjects.

Patients in the general population with sporadic tumors of the types seen in the IBMFS (head and neck, gastrointestinal, and anogenital cancer), with none of the usual risk factors (e.g. smoking, drinking, HPV).

Design:

Natural history study, with questionnaires, clinical evaluations, clinical and research laboratory test, review of medical records, cancer surveillance.

Primary endpoints are all cancers, solid tumors, and cancers specific to each type of IBMFS.

Secondary endpoints are markers of pre-malignant conditions, such as leukoplakia, serum or tissue evidence of carcinogenic viruses, and bone marrow morphologic myelodyplastic syndrome or cytogenetic clones.