• Question: Can cancer be in your genes? And can it be past on to your family?

    Asked by Soha? to Greg, Jen, Laura, Mobeen, Paul on 9 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Paul O'Mahoney

      Paul O'Mahoney answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      There are many cancers that are thought to be at least partially due to mutated genes passed down from a parent, such as breast cancer, but I don’t think it is 100% guaranteed. Even if a person inherited a mutated gene, it is not guaranteed to cause cancer though it can present a much higher risk.

    • Photo: Jen Lowe

      Jen Lowe answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      There are some genes that increase a person’s risk for getting cancer (like BRCA1 and BRCA2 for breast cancer, but they are rare in whole population of breast cancer patients). If there are lots of people in your family who have cancer you can be referred to a genetic counselling service which may offer gene testing. If a person has a gene that makes cancer more likely, then that person can pass it on to their genetic children.
      This link was really interesting:
      http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/inherited-cancer-genes-and-increased-cancer-risk/family-history-and-inherited-cancer-genes

    • Photo: Greg Melia

      Greg Melia answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      There are some genes that mean you are at a higher risk of getting some cancers, but it also depends on how you live – so you need to avoid smoking, make sure you use suncream in the summer and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Then a lot of it is down to chance, so don’t spend too much time worrying about it, just try to live a fun life while you can.

    • Photo: Laura Haworth

      Laura Haworth answered on 9 Mar 2016:

      There are some genes that make you at an increased risk of getting certain types of genes- eg the BRCA1 and BRCA2 can put you at increased increase of breast/ovarian cancer. Just because you have these genes does not mean you are going to get cancer. A number of people without these genes can get cancer so it is not really worth worrying too much about. It is just important to leave a healthy and happy life and be aware of the signs/symptoms of some cancers that could lea to earlier detection- i.e. checking for lumps, rapid weight loss etc.

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