Are there many cases of hereditary gastric cancer?

Many people have heard of gastric cancer, but are there many cases of hereditary gastric cancer? This is a topic of concern to many gastric cancer patients. They are afraid of passing the disease to the next generation, so is gastric cancer hereditary? Let us take a look at this issue below, hoping it can help patients relieve their concerns.

Patients and their families may not know this, but it is also a problem they are concerned about. The so-called inheritance, as the name suggests, refers to the transmission of genes so that offspring acquire the characteristics of their parents. Genetics is the discipline that studies this phenomenon. It is currently known that the existing life on Earth mainly uses DNA as genetic material. In addition to genetics, factors that determine biological characteristics include the environment and the interaction between the environment and genetics. Experts analyzed that if gastric cancer is hereditary, it should be transmitted by a certain gene in the cancer cells, and the cancer cells will undergo a transformation so that it can be inherited by the next generation.

In order to find out whether gastric cancer is hereditary, we must first know the cause of gastric cancer. How is gastric cancer caused? It is 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, gastric cancer is related to heredity.

So, since gastric cancer is related to heredity, can we conclude that the next generation of gastric cancer 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 reproductive cells, so this cancer cell will not be inherited by children. This is a "non-hereditary" cancer.

Not all gastric cancer is hereditary. People with a family history of gastric cancer should realize that although they may develop gastric cancer due to heredity, it does not mean that they will definitely get gastric cancer, 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.

Gastric cancer is somewhat hereditary. Especially for families with a family history of gastric cancer, they must do relevant preventive work to effectively reduce the incidence of gastric cancer.