Cowden Syndrome

What can I do to manage my increased risk of cancer?

Screening

Screening helps to detect (and in some cases treat) tumours and/or cancer at an early and manageable stage.

• General
  • Physical examination by a doctor with experience in managing CS
• Breast cancer (for females)
  • Practice breast self-awareness
  • Regular clinical breast examination
  • Breast mammograms and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
• Uterine (endometrial) cancer (for females)
  • Prompt reporting of symptoms (e.g., abnormal uterine bleeding)
  • Consider endometrial biopsies (limited evidence of benefit)
• Kidney cancer
  • Consider kidney ultrasounds
• Skin cancer
  • Examinations by a skin doctor (dermatologist)
• Colorectal cancer
  • Colonoscopies
• Thyroid cancer
  • Thyroid ultrasounds

Your managing doctor(s) will discuss screening recommendations with you in greater detail, which may be tailored based on your personal and medical history. The age and onset for screening may depend on your personal and/or family history of cancer. Screening guidelines may change as more information is known.

Risk-reducing surgery

In some cases, risk-reducing surgery may be offered to help reduce the risk of cancer.

• Breast cancer (for females)
  • Consider risk-reducing surgery to remove breast tissue (bilateral mastectomy)
• Uterine (endometrial) cancer (for females)
  • Consider risk-reducing surgery (hysterectomy) to remove the womb (uterus) in certain cases, upon family completion

Your managing doctor(s) will discuss these options with you in greater detail. These surgeries reduce cancer risk significantly but do not remove the risk entirely.