Ever now and then a question pops up in the minds of patients suffering from cancer.
Is this cancer because of my genes ?
Have this travelled from my grandparents or mother to me ?
Are my kids also at risk of having the cancer, as I am having cancer ?
The answer is broadly NO in 95 % of cases.
But yes, this is possible in 5 % of cases.
So most of the cancer patients do not had cancer because of the bad genes and neither is their future family or kids are at greater risk of developing cancer. But, in only 5 % of the total cases, cancer do travel in families.
Known as Hereditary cancers, these can travel across generations. It doesn't mean that whole of the generation or next generation will suffer from cancer. It actually means that the persons having the specific gene or change of gene are at risk of developing cancer. They may or may not develop cancer over whole life.
How to find about genetic cancer ? The best method is to discuss with your oncologist, who will chart down your family history and then discuss with the Genetic Counselor.
The Genetic Counselor is the master in deciphering about hereditary cancers. By analysing the types of cancers in family, ages of patients, their relations and types of caners, they can figure out, whether these cancers are due to some defect in the gene or not.
Even if found in you or your family, the genetic counselor will let you know about the preventive methods also.
The bottom line is.. 95 % of the total cancers do not run in families.
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