Familial cancer and the role of the nurse

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Abstract
Current epidemiologic evidence suggests that environmental factors predispose to the majority of cancers, but differences in host susceptibility, some of which may be genetically determined, are also important. Clinical and laboratory investigation of cancer prone families, utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, provides opportunity for defining mechanisms of host susceptibility as well as environmental influences. In this approach, the nurse acts as an alert practitioner, a model applicable to practicing nurses, where bedside observations can provide etiologic clues. Employing nursing history and assessment techniques with special emphasis on family and environmental histories, significant new information can be uncovered that patients may be unwilling to convey to other health team members. Because of unusual susceptibility in these families, teaching and emotional support are paramount, involving explanation of cancer risk estimates, mechanisms of genetic transmission, and steps patients should take for early detection and prevention.

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