Familial vs. Hereditary Cancer: Understanding the Key Differences

Cancer is a disease caused by genetic mutations in some gene that causes cells to multiply indefinitely. These cells then evade and damage the surrounding tissue and can spread to other parts of the body. Mostly, such mutations in the DNA, that result in cancer, are either inherited from parents or grandparents or caused by environmental factors. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), about 10% of all cancers are inherited. Inherited cancer can be classified as familial and hereditary.

This article explores the key differences between familial vs hereditary cancer, their causes, and management methods.

What is Familial Cancer?

Familial cancer refers to cancer that is prevalent in a family and carries the risk of being passed on to the future generations. When two or more family members are diagnosed with the same type of cancer, it is classified as familial cancer. The occurrence of a certain type of cancer among family members can be triggered by lifestyle, environmental factors, and genes.

What is Hereditary Cancer?

Hereditary cancer is caused by gene mutations passed on from parents and grandparents to the next generations. These gene mutations increase the risk of cancer and when passed on the susquent generations also have an increased risk. For example, a mutation in the BRCA1 gene can be passed on by parents to the offspring which can increase the risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

What are the Causes of Familial Cancer?

Familial cancer can be caused by some mutation in a gene that runs in the family and is passed on to the future generations. This mutation does not immediately cause cancer but can be triggered by lifestyle or environmental factors.

What are the Causes of Hereditary Cancer? 

Hereditary cancer is a hereditary disease that can occur either through genes that are passed on from one generation to the next, or at the time when an egg and sperm cell fuse, some sort of genetic mutation can occur which can result in cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Cancer?

Cancer is hereditary disease in which cells feed off the nutrients of the normal cells and show uncontrolled growth. Some of the most common symptoms of cancer are:

1. Unexplained pain in a certain area
2. Extreme fatigue or tiredness throughout the day
3. Unexplained weight loss
4. Lumps or swelling in a particular area
5. Yellowing or darkening of skin
6. Difficulty breathing or persistent coughing
7. Changes in bowel habits

What are the Risk Factors for Hereditary and Familial Cancer?

Cancers can be triggered by a variety of risk factors that include:

1. Age: With age, the genetic mutation in the cell grows and develops. After a certain point, this mutation starts to show its effect and results in cancer.
2. Lifestyle: An unhealthy lifestyle that involves a lot of smoking, drinking or consumption of junk food can increase the risk of developing cancer.
3. Environment: An environment containing harmful chemicals or smoke can trigger certain mutations that can lead to cancer.
4. Health Conditions: Certain diseases like ulcerative colitis can increase the risk of developing cancer in a person.

How is cancer diagnosed? 

Cancer can be diagnosed by a variety of cancer tests such as:

1. Imaging techniques like PET or CT scan use computerised imaging to find the cancerous lump or cancer location.
2. Blood tests can be used to find any sort of anomalies within the blood cells or the presence of certain markers in blood that point towards known cancers.
3. Biopsies can be done to remove a tissue from the body which is analysed for the existence of any form of cancer by a pathologist.
4. Endoscopy can be performed to check for cancers using a camera attached at the end of a flexible pipe.
5. Doctors can perform physical exams to search for any lump that can potentially be cancerous.

What are Cancer Management and Prevention Measures? 

Hereditary and familial cancers can both be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle which involves eating healthy unprocessed food, consuming a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, sleeping for an average of 8 hours each day and avoiding any bad lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking.

Individuals diagnosed with cancer should undergo the necessary treatments as suggested by the doctor. Some major ones include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical removal or immunotherapy.

Hereditary and familial cancers both can be life threatening conditions. Following a healthy lifestyle and improving the environment can help avoid the development of such cancers.

In case one feels the symptoms of cancer, they should immediately consult a healthcare provider and schedule a familial or hereditary cancer test with Dr. Lal Path Labs

FAQs

1. What is hereditary disease?

A hereditary disease is one which can be passed on by the parents to their offspring.

2. Is cancer hereditary from parents or grandparents?

Cancer is caused by some form of defect in a gene. These genes can be inherited from parents or grandparents and can increase the risk of cancer.

3. Is hereditary or familial cancer sure to develop?

No cancer is sure to develop. Depending on an individual’s age, lifestyle and environment, the risk of developing cancer can change.

4. How can cancer be prevented?

Following a healthy plant-based diet, getting 8 hours of sleep each day, consuming food rich in antioxidants, avoiding processed foods, avoiding smoking and drinking, regularly exercising and staying in a healthy environment can prevent or largely delay the onset of cancer.