Cancer outcomes in PHTS - following what happens over time

Introduction

People with PHTS have a higher chance of developing some cancers, especially breast, thyroid, womb (endometrial), kidney, bowel (colorectal) cancer, and a type of skin cancer called melanoma. Because of this, doctors recommend regular surveillance, which means planned checks to look for cancer as early as possible.

At present cancer treatment for people with PHTS is similar to individuals with sporadic cancers. Until recently was unknown whether the outcome of cancer treatment in individuals with PHTS differed from the general population.

At the moment, there are no proven ways to prevent cancer in PHTS beyond regular monitoring, so researchers are trying to understand more about why cancer is so common in PHTS. 

Project goals

To better understand how common different cancers are in PHTS and how they are treated.

Project overview

For this study, over 500 people with PHTS who were diagnosed with cancer were identified. The prognosis of these individuals was assessed, with a focus on breast and thyroid cancer. Following diagnosis of cancer in an individual, data was collected for each individual on their treatment and the outcome of the treatment and cancer recurrences and metastases.