What is Hereditary Cancer?
Hereditary cancer refers to cancer caused by gene mutations passed down from parents to children. These genetic changes account for about 10% of all cancer cases and significantly increase an individual's risk of developing cancer in their lifetime. Hereditary cancers can affect both men and women and may occur at younger ages. If a mutation exists in your family, every first-degree relative has a 50/50 chance of inheriting it. Understanding these risks is crucial for proactive health management.
Red Flags for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
- Multiple Cancers within one person or on one side of the family.
- Young Cancers diagnosed at age 49 or younger.
- Rare Cancers such as male breast cancer or ovarian cancer.
Recognizing these red flags can prompt timely genetic testing and preventive actions, potentially reducing the future risk of cancer.
Common Hereditary Cancers
The most common types of hereditary cancer are Breast, Ovarian, Prostate, Pancreatic, Colon, Endometrial, Gastric, Lung, Endocrine, Renal, Skin, Leukemia and Lymphomas
It is also important to know that many types of cancer can be associated with one mutation. For example, BRCA mutations are associated with breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic and skin cancers. It is important to assess all types of cancer when evaluating your family history.
Questions to Ask Your Family
- Who had cancer? (relation to you: aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, etc)
- What type of cancer did they have? (example: breast cancer. What type of breast cancer? Triple negative, ER, PR, HER2 status)
- How old were they when they were diagnosed with cancer?
- Did they have genetic testing?
- When did they have genetic testing?
- Is it possible to get a copy of their results?