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Aren most cancers due to strong hereditary factors?

April 26, 2017cancers factors hereditary strong

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Aren most cancers due to strong hereditary factors?

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Actually, only 5 to 10% of cancers of the breast, ovary, and prostate are thought to be due to strong hereditary factors. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are examples of strong hereditary factors. Another ten per cent of these cancers may be due to moderately strong hereditary factors – mutations in genes with less influence than BRCA1 or BRCA2, or to mutations in several genes (see “Heterogeneity of Breast Cancer” below). As many as 10 to 15% of colon cancers may be hereditary.