• Question: Why cant you inherit cancer?

    Asked by to Del, Catherine, John, Krishna, Mo Rassul on 13 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: John Foster

      John Foster answered on 13 Mar 2014:

      Often cancers are the results of mutations in genes caused by outside factors such as cigarette smoke (lung cancer) or the powerful rays of the sun (skin cancer). But sometimes you can inherit the mutations in these genes. This doesn’t mean you will definitely get cancer, but it does increase your chance. For example, there are two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 which you can inherit mutated copies of. These genes increase your risk of cancer of the breast and ovaries.

    • Photo: Muhammed Rassul

      Muhammed Rassul answered on 13 Mar 2014:

      Cancers are pretty much uncontrolled cell growth. These are caused by errors in copying of the cells, by mutations. You can inherit predispositions to get certain types of cancer, this means you are more likely to develop a cencer. This does not mean you will.

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