Prevalence and characteristics of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) syndrome in immigrant Asian colorectal cancer patients

摘要

BackgroundThe prevalence of Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) is 2 to 5% in the Caucasian population. HNPCC is caused by genomic mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes (MMR), namely MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM. A non-hereditary, acquired process of hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter can also lead to silencing of MLH1 protein expression. Diagnosis of HNPCC in patients with colorectal and other related cancers is important in the clinical treatment and surveillance of related cancers. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of HNPCC in Asian colorectal cancer patients has been reported in small studies and unique features have been suggested.