What are the genetic changes related to hereditary diffuse gastric cancer ?
It is likely that 30 to 40 percent of individuals with HDGC have a mutation in the CDH1 gene. The CDH1 gene provides instructions for making a protein called epithelial cadherin or E-cadherin. This protein is found within the membrane that surrounds epithelial cells, which are the cells that line the surfaces and cavities of the body. E-cadherin helps neighboring cells stick to one another (cell adhesion) to form organized tissues. E-cadherin has many other functions including acting as a tumor suppressor protein, which means it prevents cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way.  People with HDGC caused by CDH1 gene mutations are born with one mutated copy of the gene in each cell. These mutations cause the production of an abnormally short, nonfunctional version of E-cadherin or alter the protein's structure. For diffuse gastric cancer to develop, a second mutation involving the other copy of the CDH1 gene must occur in the cells of the stomach lining during a person's lifetime. People who are born with one mutated copy of the CDH1 gene have a 80 percent chance of acquiring a second mutation in the other copy of the gene and developing gastric cancer in their lifetimes.  When both copies of the CDH1 gene are mutated in a particular cell, that cell cannot produce any functional E-cadherin. The loss of this protein prevents it from acting as a tumor suppressor, contributing to the uncontrollable growth and division of cells. A lack of E-cadherin also impairs cell adhesion, increasing the likelihood that cancer cells will not come together to form a tumor but will invade the stomach wall and metastasize as small clusters of cancer cells into nearby tissues.  These CDH1 gene mutations also lead to a 40 to 50 percent chance of lobular breast cancer in women, a slightly increased risk of prostate cancer in men, and a slightly increased risk of colorectal cancer. It is unclear why CDH1 gene mutations primarily occur in the stomach lining and these other tissues.  About 60 to 70 percent of individuals with HDGC do not have an identified mutation in the CDH1 gene. The cancer-causing mechanism in these individuals is unknown.