would i be more at risk of getting cancer if 5 of my family members died of cancer?

my mom was talking to me about it and its got me worried. so i wanted to ask what people thought about it.

it would make u more likely to get it if it was like from moles or something

cancer is not directly passed down through teh generations but you will be at greater risk. but its nothing to worry about. i belive 4 people in my family have died of cancer since i was a kid and im all good :)

its abit scary though :/ because my Granddad died of it and his two sisters and his mom did :/ and some people on my nans side too :/

I know that certain cancers do have genetic predisposition factors. Breast cancer in your family for instance, can potentially leave you predisposed to developing breast cancer. It does not mean that you will develop it though. They have isolated I think two genes associated with breast cancer BRCA-1 and BRCA-2. If your parents are a carrier of this, then you should probably get screened a little earlier than most women. There is a saying that you will get cancer if you live long enough. Cancer is just uncontrolled cell growth. Many cancers are due to somatic mutations in the cells, meaning that particular mutation [that causes cancer] can not be passed on to offspring. So many of our cells divide on a regular basis, that something is bound to mutate at some point. If the occurring mutation effects cell growth, then cancer can sometimes result. Definitely take steps to avoid cancer such as staying away from tobacco products and other known carcinogens and maintain a healthy diet low in fat. In short, you shouldn’t worry about it too much as long as you lead a healthy lifestyle.

Cancer is obviously not passed down, however a vulnerability to cancer appears to have some sort of link. Does that mean you will get cancer, no. It means you may have to be more vigilant about getting checkups and what not. You want consult with your doctor. Sometimes when women are at greater risk of some types of cancer, they do more screens and what not.

thank you :)

thank you :)