Can i get cancer if people in my family had it?

Question

My grandpa had cancer. I'm not sure what kind of cancer he had. he died in 2004. My 2 cousins (they were sisters) had cancer also. They both died like a year ago. is there a chance that i could get cancer? My grandpa was on my moms side of the family and my 2 cousins were on my dads side of the family. so cancer was in the family on both sides. My question is, Can i get cancer if my relatives had it? thanks

Answer 1

if your parent or sibling has/had cancer, there is a greater chance you will get it.  of course, if your parents' parent or sibling has/had it, there's a greater chance for them to get it and then for you to get it.  keep aware of changes in your body and maybe have yourself tested for cancer genes, if you can.

Answer 2

You are very likely at no more risk of getting cancer than someone with no  history of cancer in their family.

Hereditary cancer is rare - less than 10% of all cancer cases are due to hereditary factors.

A sign that a cancer may be hereditary when several members of the family  have had the SAME type of cancer. If several members have had cancer but they were different types of cancer - one breast cancer, one stomach cancer, one lung cancer etc - there is no hereditary factor. And having relatives with non-hereditary cancer does not increase your chances of getting cancer.

Your cousins were sisters; if they both had the same type of cancer, and if (as I'm guessing) they were young then it was  likely to have been genetic. But that does not mean you are at risk of that cancer, as they were not first-degree family members (parents, siblings), and it is cancer in first-degree relatives that is a possible indication of hereditary cancer.

You don't say how old your grandfather was; cancer that s diagnosed after the age of 50 is less likely to be hereditary

With one in three people getting cancer at some time, it is not unusual for several members of a family to have cancer without there being any hereditary cancers. This is the case in my own family.

Two of my grandparents died of cancer. Both my parents had cancer and my mother died of it; so did my aunt, my uncle and my cousin. None of their cancers were hereditary, and no members of my immediate or extended family are considered to be at increased risk of any of them. Of my parents' 6 children, now aged between 46 and 60, only I have developed cancer and mine too was non-hereditary - random like at least 90% of cancer cases.

BTW, whenever people ask a question like this there are answers saying that breast cancer is especially hereditary. It isn't; only 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary

Answer 3

The possibility of getting any kind of cancer is bright if the other family members and elders have cancer. At the same time it is not compulsary that all cancers are out come of heriditary reasons and in many cases this theory does not work also.

The general causes of getting cancer -

Cancer is caused by damage (mutations) to the DNA within cells. Your DNA contains a set of instructions for your cells, telling them how to grow and divide. Normal cells often develop mutations in their DNA, but they have the ability to repair most of these mutations. Or, if they can't make the repairs, the cells often die. However, certain mutations aren't repaired, causing the cells to grow and become cancerous. Mutations also cause cancer cells to live beyond their normal cell life span. This causes the cancerous cells to accumulate.

In some cancers, accumulating cells form a tumor. But not all cancers form tumors. For example, leukemia is a cancer that involves blood, bone marrow, the lymphatic system and the spleen, but doesn't form a single mass or tumor.

The initial genetic mutation is just the beginning of the process by which cancer develops. Scientists believe you need a number of changes within a cell in order to develop cancer, including:

    * An initiator to cause a genetic mutation. Sometimes you're born with this genetic mutation. Other times a genetic mutation is caused by forces within your body, such as hormones, viruses and chronic inflammation. Genetic mutations can also be caused by forces outside of your body, such as ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens) in your environment.

    * A promoter to cause rapid cell growth. Promoters take advantage of genetic mutations created by initiators. Promoters cause cells to divide more rapidly. This could lead to an accumulation of cells, such as a tumor. Promoters could be inherited, could come from inside your body or could come from outside your body.

    * A progressor to cause cancer to become aggressive and spread. Without a progressor a tumor may remain benign and localized. Progressors make cancers more aggressive, more likely to invade and destroy nearby tissue, and more likely to spread to other parts of your body. Like initiators and promoters, progressors could be inherited or they could come from environmental sources.

Your genetic makeup, forces within your body, your lifestyle choices and your environment can all set the stage for cancer or help complete the process once it's started. For instance, if you've inherited a genetic mutation that predisposes you to cancer, you may be more likely than other people to develop cancer when exposed to a certain cancer-causing substance. The genetic mutation begins the cancer process, and the cancer-causing substance could play a role in further cancer development. Likewise, smokers who work with asbestos are more likely to develop lung cancer than are smokers who don't work with asbestos. That's because tobacco smoke and asbestos both play roles in cancer development. -

Answer 4

The problem is, it depends a lot on what kind of cancer or cancers it is. That makes a difference. There is a chance that anybody can get cancer. Also a chance, even if there is cancer in a family you might never get it.

Colon cancer can run in families. If somebody has a relative with colon cancer it is best to get a colonoscopy, a test that looks into the colon to detect cancer, polyps, or other conditions.

Women who have cancer on their mother's side of the family, especially should be careful, a mother, sister, grandmother, first cousin, aunt, a woman should have mammograms even in her 30's; Other kinds of cancer might be genetic, I'm not sure. One form of Leukemia has been linked to a gene, but not all. I forget the name of the leukemia but the gene is called the Philadelphia Gene. But I'm not sure how you would to be tested for that or if you would unless you knew somebody in your family had that disease.

Melanoma is not hereditary, but people with light skin (really of any race, if the skin is fairly light) can be at risk. It could be common in families of fair skinned people.

The only way to be sure is to be checked out with colonoscopies, mammograms, prostate exams, whatever the gender-appropriate tests would be. Watch for the same symptoms as anybody, but be a little more careful if there is cancer in the family. But don't worry about it, just be aware of the symptoms and see a doctor regularly.

Answer 5

Cancer can be genetic and no. There are people who have relatives that have cancer will develop cancer and there are some who will not. On the other hand, there are people who don't have relatives that have cancer that do develop cancer sometime in life. So it is very difficult to answer this question. It only depends on your health. So start taking care of yourself to avoid these complications later on in life.

Answer 6

I dont believe so, most cancers are just random and there is no known cause. I believe it depends on what cancer you are reffering to, for example breast cancer and ovarian cancer can be genetic.

Answer 7

I really can't answer that question. Really noone can not even Doctors. I am surly sorry abouth the passing of your Grandpa and cousin. I think you should just live laugh to the fullless and pray. God is the only person that can help you get through the worry about getting Cancer or not.