For many types of cancer, a portion of
those cancers are linked to a family history. Breast, ovarian, prostate,
and colon are some of these cancers. Some of these are discussed
briefly here, but only to help explain heredity and cancer. Please refer
to the American Cancer Society specific cancer site documents for more
information about a particular type of cancer and its genetic
components, diagnosis, and treatment.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Heredity and Cancer
Cancer is such a common disease that it
is no surprise that many families have at least a few members who have
had cancer. Sometimes, certain types of cancer seem to run in some
families. This can be caused by a number of factors. It can be because
family members have certain risk factors in common, such as smoking,
which can cause many types of cancer. It can also be due in part to some other factors, like obesity, that tend to run in families and influence cancer risk.
But in some cases the cancer is caused
by an abnormal gene that is being passed along from generation to
generation. Although this is often referred to as inherited cancer,
what is inherited is the abnormal gene that can lead to cancer, not the
cancer itself. Only about 5% to 10% of all cancers are inherited –
resulting directly from gene defects (called mutations) inherited from a parent. This document focuses on those cancers.
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