‘” Yes, cancer is due to genetic changes, but that doesn’t generally mean it’s inherited. “We see a huge amount of confusion about this,” says Katherine Nathanson, MD, Associate Professor of Genetics at Penn Medicine. “There is an inherited variation in different genes, which can lead to cancer that runs in families.

Some cancers that can be hereditary are:

• Breast cancer.
• Colon cancer.
• Prostate cancer.
• Ovarian cancer.
• Uterine cancer.
• Melanoma (a type of skin cancer)
• Pancreatic cancer.

As well as a gene fault, many other factors need to be in place for a cancer to develop. Because the other factors are not always in place, the cancer may seem to skip a generation. A parent may have the gene and not develop cancer but their child who inherits the same gene does develop cancer.

Reality: Most people diagnosed with cancer don’t have a family history of the disease. Only about 5% to 10% of all cases of cancer are inherited. Myth: If cancer runs in my family, I will get it, too. Reality: Sometimes, people in the same family get cancer because they share behaviors that raise their risk.

About genetic mutations

• Acquired mutations. These are the most common cause of cancer.
• Germline mutations. These are less common.
• Tumor suppressor genes. These are protective genes.
• Oncogenes. These turn a healthy cell into a cancerous cell.
• DNA repair genes. These fix mistakes made when DNA is copied.

High-energy radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons, can damage DNA and cause cancer. These forms of radiation can be released in accidents at nuclear power plants and when atomic weapons are made, tested, or used.

The risk of developing cancer from a lifetime exposure of background radiation is about 1 in 100, or 1% of the population.10It is impossible to avoid all background radiation, but the best ways to limit unnecessary exposure to radiation from the environment is to prevent your exposure to radon and repeated unprotected …

If cancer does develop after radiation therapy, it does not happen right away. For leukemias, most cases develop within 5 to 9 years after exposure. In contrast, other cancers often take much longer to develop.

Recent studies leveraging CTCs sorting technology have shown clinically that radiotherapy results in an increased number of viable circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung cancer [18, 19], and bladder cancer [20], thus contributing to a higher risk of distant metastases.

This may be a new primary cancer. It may develop as a late effect of previous cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Or it may be the original cancer that has spread to other parts of the body from where it started. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can also damage bone marrow stem cells.

Some cancers are difficult to treat and have high rates of recurrence. Glioblastoma, for example, recurs in nearly all patients, despite treatment. The rate of recurrence among patients with ovarian cancer is also high at 85%….Related Articles.

The best cancer-fighting foods

• Apples.
• Berries.
• Cruciferous vegetables.
• Carrots.
• Fatty fish.
• Walnuts.
• Legumes.
• Supplements and medications.

For most people, the cancer experience doesn’t end on the last day of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy usually does not have an immediate effect, and it could take days, weeks or months to see any change in the cancer. The cancer cells may then keep dying for weeks or months after the end of treatment.

Fatigue is the most common acute side effect of radiation therapy. It is believed to be caused by the tremendous amount of energy that is used by the body to heal itself in response to radiation therapy. Most people begin to feel fatigued about 2 weeks after radiation treatments begin.