• Question: Is cancer hereditary?

    Asked by Elicabanas to Tom, Paul, Natasha, Ester, Eoin on 15 Nov 2017. This question was also asked by Claudiamanto.
    • Photo: Natasha Myhill

      Natasha Myhill answered on 15 Nov 2017:

      Some cancers can have a hereditary element, yes. It is often the case that if one of your parents has a genetic mutation in a high risk gene, you could inherit this as well. However, this is only a hereditary risk of developing the cancer, not a certainty. There are now a number of known inherited mutations that increase the risk of different cancers, and a few of these you can now be genetically screened for, especially if you suspect you might have inherited a mutation. However, scientists cannot yet predict whether or not a person will get cancer.

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