Hereditary conditions associated with elevated cancer risk in childhood

Abstract

The widespread use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies revealed that a significant percentage of tumors in children develop as a part of monogenic hereditary diseases. Predisposition to the development of pediatric neoplasms is characteristic of a wide range of conditions including hereditary tumor syndromes, primary immunodeficiencies, rasopathies, and phakomatosis. The mechanisms of tumor molecular pathogenesis are diverse and include disturbances in signaling cascades, defects in DNA repair, chromatin remodeling, and microRNA processing. Timely diagnosis of tumor-associated syndromes is important for the proper choice of cancer treatment, genetic counseling of families, and the development of surveillance programs. The review describes the spectrum of neoplasms characteristic of the most common syndromes and the molecular pathogenesis of these diseases.