I received a private message from a reader in the background:
Xiao Jiu, I'm very scared now, my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and my uncle was diagnosed with cancer last week, is there a cancer gene in our family?
In fact, in life, we can often see on the news that several members of a family or several people in a family have cancer, but is cancer really hereditary? Is this an unbreakable "fate"? Calm down first and listen to Xiao Jiu's rational talk.
1. Cancer is related to genes, is it really hereditary?
In a person's life, no one dares to say that they will not be cancer-free, and everyone is at risk of cancer. But in life, it seems that some people are born more susceptible to cancer than others, and it is likely that they inherited the cancer gene from their parents.
In 2016, a 31-year follow-up of more than 200,000 subjects published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that about one-third of cancer occurrences were related to genetic factors.
Studies have shown that at least 22 types of cancer are genetic disorders that run in families for generations. Studies say that if an immediate family member has these cancers, the risk of cancer in other siblings increases by 33 percent.
From a scientific point of view, cancer itself is not hereditary, but is passed on by the mutated gene that causes cancer, also known as "cancer susceptibility".
People with these genes will have special changes in their genetic material, becoming a "susceptible constitution" to tumors, more sensitive to external stimuli, and more likely to get tumors.
Luo Rongcheng, director of the Cancer Center of Southern Medical University, said that cancer is different from other diseases, and it is not that parents will have any disease, and children will definitely get something.
Because the pathogenic mutation of one gene may lead to the occurrence of multiple cancers, which is why many families cluster cancers and many people have different cancers. For example, mutations in the BRCA1 gene may lead to breast cancer, and ovarian cancer may also occur.
If you want to identify whether cancer is hereditary, you can use the three numbers "3/2/1".
3 refers to three persons, i.e., ≥ three of the blood related family members have cancer, and 2 refers to two conditions, i.e., one person has two types of cancer or cancer of a pair of organs. or ≥ 2 lesions in the same organ;1 refers to a young patient or 1 case of rare cancer.
2. These 4 types of cancer have a genetic predisposition, and families should pay attention to them
The vast majority of tumors are the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, and accidental factors, with hereditary tumors accounting for about 5-10% of all tumors.
Most people inherit susceptibility genes from their parents, and in autosomal dominant inheritance, if one parent carries a disease-causing tumor susceptibility gene, the probability of the next generation inheriting this gene is about 50%.
Xie Fangwei, director of the Department of Integrated Oncology of Fuzhou First Hospital, said that there are four types of cancers with high hereditary properties.
1. Liver cancer
If either parent is found to have liver cancer, the child must be targeted for primary prevention.
Because the occurrence of liver cancer is inseparable from the hepatitis B virus, which spreads vertically and is prone to familial clustering. In particular, mothers who carry the hepatitis B virus have a much higher chance of developing liver cancer in their offspring than the general population.
2. Breast cancer
Breast cancer has a clear genetic predisposition, especially between first-degree relatives. If the mother suffers from breast cancer, the risk of the daughter will increase by 2~3 times compared to others.
3. Stomach cancer
There is also a great relationship between the occurrence of gastric cancer and heredity, there are ≥ 2 people in the family who suffer from gastric cancer in one or two generations, and if one of them is < age of 50 years old, then most of them will suffer from diffuse gastric cancer, which has a high heritability.
4. Bowel cancer
About 20~30% of colorectal cancer patients have a family history of various cancers, as long as there is an immediate family member with familial intestinal polyposis, then other family members should also go to the hospital for relevant examinations as soon as possible.
Especially for some people with unhealthy eating habits and long-term preference for eating high-protein, high-fat, and high-calorie foods, it is even more important to get checked as soon as possible.
3. If you have a family history of cancer, how to prevent it from happening?
The vast majority of tumors are the result of a combination of genetic, environmental, and accidental factors, and heredity is only one of the influencing factors.
Even if you have a history of cancer in your family, it doesn't mean that you will definitely get cancer, and doing these 3 things on a daily basis can help prevent cancer from happening.
1. Focus on early screening
Cancer is a chronic disease, and it often takes 5~20 years from occurrence to advanced stage.
In the process of cancer development, it can be detected in time through physical examination to curb the development of the disease, and it is recommended that people with a family history have a relevant cancer screening once every 1~2 years.
2. Reduce carcinogenic factors
The occurrence of cancer is related to the environment, diet and living habits, etc., and it is of great significance to pay attention to staying away from chemical carcinogens and eating a healthy diet and eating less barbecue and pickled foods.
3. Stick to a healthy lifestyle
Maintaining a good lifestyle, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, healthy work and rest, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol, etc., can stabilize the internal environment of the body, improve immunity, and also play a role in preventing cancer.
The occurrence of cancer is a long process, and if you want to prevent cancer, you must start now, and if you feel unwell in your daily life, you should seek medical advice in time.
Resources:
[1] "Tell the truth!" Some people are "born" more susceptible to cancer than others, 1/8 of the cancer is given by parents, especially these 8 kinds...".Popular Science China 2022-03-04
[2] "Is Cancer Really Hereditary?Doctor: Yes!Especially These Kinds", The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, 2023-03-29
[3] "These 8 types of cancer are easy to inherit to the next generation! People with a family history should do a few things as soon as possible". Life Times 2022-08-02
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