If you don't know which four types of cancer are likely to be inherited in families, take a look at them now

Which four types of cancer are likely to be inherited in families? Ten percent of cancers are related to heredity: the vast majority of cancers are not inherited, but about ten to fifteen percent of cancers are caused by heredity. In epidemiological surveys, there are indeed records of familial cancer. In the 1860s, a French doctor reported that 15 of the 24 women in his family died of cancer, 10 of whom died of breast cancer; four of the five children of the second generation of this family died of cancer.

Key facts

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. Globally, approximately one in six deaths is caused by cancer.

Approximately 70% of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

About one-third of cancer deaths are caused by five major behavioral and dietary risks: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, physical inactivity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

Smoking is the most important risk factor for cancer, accounting for approximately 22% of cancer deaths (2).

In low- and middle-income countries, cancer-causing infections, such as hepatitis and human papillomavirus (HPV), cause up to 25% of cancer cases (3).

Late presentation and inaccessible diagnosis and treatment are common. In 2017, only 26% of low-income countries reported widespread provision of pathology services in the public sector. More than 90% of high-income countries reported treatment services, compared with less than 30% of low-income countries.

The economic impact of cancer is large and increasing. In 2010, the annual economic cost of cancer was estimated to be approximately US$ 1.16 trillion (4).

Only one in five low- and middle-income countries has the necessary data to advance cancer policy (5).

Cancer is a general term for a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. Other terms include malignancy and tumor. A defining characteristic of cancer is the rapid development of abnormal cells beyond their usual borders, which can then invade adjacent parts of the body and spread to other organs, the latter being known as metastasis. Metastasis is the leading cause of death from cancer.

question

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018. The most common cancers are:

Lung (2.09 million cases)

Breast (2.09 million cases)

Colorectal (1.8 million cases)

Prostate (1.28 million cases)

Skin cancer (non-melanoma) (1.04 million cases)

Stomach (1.03 million cases)

The most common causes of cancer death are:

Lung (1.76 million deaths)

Colorectal (862,000 deaths)

Stomach (783,000 deaths)

Liver (782,000 deaths)

Breast (627,000 deaths)

What causes cancer?

Cancer begins with the transformation of normal cells into tumor cells in a multi-stage process that usually progresses from precancerous lesions to malignant tumors. These changes are the result of an interaction between a person's genetics and three types of external factors, including:

physical carcinogens, such as ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation;

Chemical carcinogens, such as asbestos, tobacco smoke components, aflatoxins (food contaminants), and arsenic (drinking water contaminant); and

Biological carcinogens, such as infection by certain viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

WHO, through its cancer research agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), classifies carcinogenic agents.

Aging is another fundamental factor in the development of cancer. The incidence of cancer rises dramatically with age, most likely because the risk of specific cancers increases with age. The overall accumulation of risk is combined with the tendency of cellular repair mechanisms to become less effective with age.

At the same time, after an old lady named Gore died of stomach cancer in the United States, several members of her family died of the same disease. Later, the remaining 17 people in the family underwent genetic testing, and the results showed that 11 of them carried a mutated gene for hereditary stomach cancer, with a 70% chance of developing stomach cancer. As a last resort, 11 cousins ​​in the family chose to have their stomachs completely removed before they became ill. As for Napoleon's family, his father, grandfather, three sisters, four brothers, and Napoleon himself all died of stomach cancer.
Four types of cancer have a high chance of being inherited. There are two manifestations of the familial nature of cancer: one is that multiple people suffer from different cancers, and the other is that a certain type of cancer clusters in a family. Although familial nature can indicate that cancer is hereditary, it does not mean that everyone will inherit it. Most cancers are the result of the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. The common living environment and living habits make families more likely to develop the same cancer. The following four malignant tumors have a clear genetic tendency:
1. Colorectal cancer There is a disease called familial adenomatous polyposis, which can easily develop into colorectal cancer. It has been observed that if a parent in a family suffers from colon cancer caused by the above disease, the probability of their children suffering from the same cancer is as high as 50%.
2. Women whose mothers or sisters have had breast cancer in their family are three times more likely to develop breast cancer than the average woman. Therefore, in addition to age, diet, obesity and other factors, breast cancer is also closely related to genetics. In addition, bilateral breast cancer is more hereditary.
3. Retinoblastoma Some retinoblastomas are also related to genetic defects. This is a malignant tumor that often occurs in children. About 1/3 of patients have bilateral occurrences, and they are all dominantly inherited, that is, the disease is common in several generations of a family. Another 2/3 only occur on one side, and about 10% of them are hereditary.
4. Lung cancer: Reports show that if a person has a close relative with lung cancer and smokes, his risk of lung cancer is 14 times higher than that of the general population. Japanese scholars have shown that 35.8% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung have a family history; and among female patients with alveolar cell carcinoma, as many as 58% have a family history.