Objective: This article reviews the topic of hereditary ovarian cancer, describes persons at risk of hereditary disposition to cancer and gives instructions for genetic counselling and molecular analysis, including contacts to specialized centres in the Czech Republic. Subject: Review. Setting: Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology, Charles University in Prague. Methods: Hereditary ovarian cancer occurs in three autosomal dominant syndromes: appropriate hereditary ovarian cancer (HOC), hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and hereditary non-poliposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC). Physician in practice or specialist at the clinic should focus interest on patients form families with frequent occurrence of breast and/or ovarian cancer, patients with early onset disease or tumour duplicity (breast and ovarian cancer). Hereditary disposition to ovarian (and breast) cancer could be assessed by molecular genetic analysis of two main susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, or other genes in families with diverse tumours. Molecular genetic analysis should be in any cases indicated by experienced clinical genetic. In the Czech Republic, the consensus of genetic and clinical care of risk patients was published and specialized centres for families with hereditary predisposition were settled in Prague and Brno. Conclusion: Persons with hereditary susceptibility to cancer constitute noted group where painstaking dispensarisation and preventive care may prevent malignancy or detect it in the early stage.

        Key words: hereditary ovarian cancer, BRCA1, BRCA2