Can bone cancer be inherited from generation to generation?

Some bone tumor patients and their families often ask doctors whether bone tumors are hereditary. It is difficult to simply draw a conclusion on this question. A large number of medical practices have found that genetic factors do play a certain role in the occurrence of bone tumors.

To understand whether bone tumors are hereditary, we must first know the causes of bone tumors. How are bone tumors caused? They are transformed from normal cells. The division of cancer cells is like a wild horse that is "unbridled" and difficult to control. When the number of cancer cells in human cells exceeds 1 million, some symptoms of cancer will occur. So how do normal cells mutate into cancer cells? For example, viruses, radiation, and chemicals act on the DNA in cells, causing changes in its structure or function, which leads to changes in metabolism. Changes in cell proliferation become cancer cells. DNA is the basic substance of heredity. Once DNA changes, it will be passed on to the next generation. In this sense, bone tumors are related to heredity.

So, can we conclude that bone tumors are related to heredity: the next generation of bone tumor patients will all develop cancer? The answer is no. Why? Because human cells are divided into two categories: somatic cells and germ cells, such as muscle cells, bone cells, and nerve cells. There is no direct connection between the previous generation and the next generation. Only germ cells, sperm and egg cells, are cells that communicate genetic information between parents and children. When the DNA in the reproductive cells of the father and mother becomes cancerous, all cells in their children's bodies acquire this changed genetic information and may become cancerous. This is a "hereditary" cancer. The DNA of somatic cells changes in the acquired environment and becomes a cancer cell. Then the daughter cells generated by the division of this cell are still cancer cells. It will not affect the cancer of the DNA in the germ cells, so this cancer cell will not be inherited by the children. This is a "non-hereditary" cancer.

Therefore, not all bone tumors are hereditary. People with a family history of bone tumors should realize that although they may develop bone tumors due to heredity, it does not mean that they will definitely get bone tumors, and they should avoid unnecessary fear. On the other hand, they should pay more attention to cancer prevention and strive for early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.