Pedigrees

Pedigrees are drawn to record the family history, and are used to help in genetic assessment. The pedigree shows relevant medical information relating to the patient and their relatives, including:

• Full name and date of birth
• Date of death, if relevant
• Type of cancer
• Age of onset
• Treating hospital
• Consanguinity (marriage/partner relationship between relatives) and ethnicity can also be important in pedigrees.

When drawing a pedigree, it is usual to start with the person seeking advice and build up the pedigree of first and second-degree relatives from there. The family of the partner of the person requesting advice is usually included.  An example of a cancer pedigree can be seen here.