Cancer is considered as a modern-day epidemic. its incidence and prevalence are increasing slowly but steadily over the years across the globe. As per recent GLOBOCAN 2020 data, almost 20 million new cancer cases were diagnosed worldwide, and 10 million people died of this disease. The cancer incidence has been projected to be almost 30 million in next two decades. There have been spectacular developments in many aspects of cancer. These include but essentially not limited to screening, early diagnosis, treatment, complication prevention etc. Still there are many things to achieve and there are some areas where progress has been limited over decades. Familial cancer is one such area.

All cancers are genetic but not all cancers are familial.Cancer is considered as a modern-day epidemic.

What is familial cancer syndrome? It’s a genetic problem where a person harbors a specific or multiple genetic alteration which makes him/her predisposed to have one or multiple cancer and the problem runs in the family.

Am I at increased risk of having cancer? A very common question we often encounter. “Doc, my mom had breast cancer, am I at risk?” or, “Doc, will my kids be affected with similar cancer in future?” are some of the questions. Familial cancers are associated with higher risk of transmission in the family.

What are different types of genetic mutations?

There are two basic types, germline and somatic mutations. Almost 5-10% of all cancers are supposedly caused by inherited genetic mutations. A gene can be considered as a basic unit of the hereditary information of a person. A mutation is an alteration or change in that genetic information. When a mutation comes from a defective sperm or egg at the time of conception, such mutations can be incorporated into the DNA of every cell of the offspring and is known as a germline mutation. That means the child is born with such a genetic defect from the mother’s womb.

https://www.newsx.com/health/familial-cancer-a-relatively-less-discussed-burning-issue.html