FAMILIAL CLL: CRC and The GEC

By Laura Rassenti, Ph.D.
Director of CRC Tissue Core
Moores UCSD Cancer Center

Although most cases of CLL are sporadic, multiple cases of CLL may be found within a single family. Approximately 8-9% of CLL patients of the thousands of patients registered with the CLL Research Consortium report having an immediate relative with CLL. This reflects the fact that first-degree relatives of patients with CLL are more than three times at risk for developing CLL than is the general population. Afflicted individuals within such families can develop CLL at a younger age than most patients with CLL. These observations suggest that genetic factors contribute to familial CLL.

Conceivably, the genetic factors that contribute to familial CLL also may play a role in patients with CLL that have no family history of this disease. As such, it is important that we understand these factors. This could allow us to identify ways to take pre-emptive action against these factors or develop specific means to target these factors, potentially allowing us to develop more effective means to treat this disease.

To Participate:
You do not need to travel to a consortium member site!

1. Completing a questionnaire detailing your family history of cancer. We will mail this questionnaire to you.

2. Completing a brief questionnaire about your lifestyle factors, personal medical history, and demographic information. We will also mail this questionnaire to you.

3. Donating a small amount of blood (2 tablespoons). For your convenience, we can send you a blood kit that you may take to your local clinic for the blood draw. You also may have this done during your visit to Mayo Clinic. We will pay for any charges associated with the blood draw.

4. Donating a sample of cheek cells. A kit will be mailed to you containing all necessary items to collect the sample.

5. Providing permission to access, for research purposes only, any medical records related to care for blood or lymph node cancer or related illnesses. In order to use this information, we need your written informed consent.

Who can I Contact for Additional Information ?

* University of California at San Diego (UCSD)
  1 (877) FAM - 4CLL or 1 (877) 326-4255
  email Dr. Rassenti: lrassenti@ucsd.edu