Related Pages Search for Clinical Trials 1 NCI's PDQ® Cancer Clinical Trials Registry. Investigation of Cancer Susceptibility in IBMFS 2 Etiologic investigation of cancer susceptibility in inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS).

Name of the Trial

Genetic and Etiology Study of Cancer Susceptibility in Patients and Their Families with Fanconi's Anemia or Other Inherited Disorders of the Bone Marrow (NCI-02-C-0052). See the protocol summary ³ .

Principal Investigator

Dr. Blanche Alter of NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.

Dr. Blance Alter Principal Investigator

Why Is This Trial Important?

Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) are rare disorders in which the bone marrow fails to adequately produce blood cells. Persons with these syndromes tend to have a very high risk of developing acute leukemia or certain solid tumors, such as head and neck, vulvar, and cervical tumors.

NCI scientists are assembling a study population that includes IBMFS patients and their family members. Researchers want to determine the number of existing cases of cancer in this population, which specific types of cancers are associated with each type of IBMFS, and at what rate IBMFS patients develop cancer. They also hope to identify specific genetic mutations associated with each IBMFS and relate these mutations to cancer risk.

“We hope to help those individuals who have these syndromes by targeting cancer screening/surveillance programs, by avoiding potential carcinogenic exposures such as tobacco, and by avoiding modes of cancer therapy that might be toxic such as radiation and some forms of chemotherapy,” says Dr. Alter.

Who Can Join This Trial?

Researchers seek to enroll up to 1,000 participants (patients and family members) in families with a suspected or proven diagnosis of an IBMFS. See the full list of eligibility criteria ⁴ for this trial.

Where Is This Trial Taking Place?

This study is taking place at the National Institutes of Health Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Contact Information

For more information, visit the study’s Web site ⁵ or call the NCI Clinical Studies Support Center (CSSC) at 1-888-NCI-1937. CSSC provides information about cancer trials taking place on the NIH campus. The call is toll free and confidential.

Glossary Terms

The soft, sponge-like tissue in the center of most bones. It produces white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream.

Any change in the DNA of a cell. Mutations may be caused by mistakes during cell division, or they may be caused by exposure to DNA-damaging agents in the environment. Mutations can be harmful, beneficial, or have no effect. If they occur in cells that make eggs or sperm, they can be inherited; if mutations occur in other types of cells, they are not inherited. Certain mutations may lead to cancer or other diseases.

An abnormal mass of tissue that usually does not contain cysts or liquid areas. Solid tumors may be benign (not cancer), or malignant (cancer). Different types of solid tumors are named for the type of cells that form them. Examples of solid tumors are sarcomas, carcinomas, and lymphomas. Leukemias (cancers of the blood) generally do not form solid tumors.