Genetic Cancer - Things to Know

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Cancer these days is considered a common disease. An estimation suggests that in UK alone, about 1 in every 3 persons will be affected with cancer sometime during their lives. Most people who are affected with cancer are aged over 65. It is comparatively not a very common ailment for young people, or say people under 50 to be diagnosed with cancer.

If you or someone you know have just one relative who is or was diagnosed with cancer, you are not so much at a risk of getting the same type of cancer yourself. Genetic cancers are a result of a gene mutation passed down from a parent to her/his offspring.

The crucial point here to keep in mind is that genetic cancer is not inherited - only the gene is inherited which basically increases the risk of developing it. It has been confirmed by researchers with the help of their studies that a certain kind of gene mutation will increase the risk factor of a person to develop some specific types of cancer. Some such types of cancers are Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Colorectal Cancer.

If someone has inherited a gene mutation, it does not mean that person is bound to develop genetic cancer or cannot escape it, but it certainly increases the risk. This mainly is dependent on family history. Genetic counselors go through family history of such people and recommend the patient to go for genetic testing. Remember genetic testing is never required medically. It’s a decision that the patient and doctors arrive at, mutually.

Genetic testing is the use of laboratory tests to get accurate risk of developing a hereditary cancer. Tests depend on the cancer being investigated. Genetic testing can help the patient to make informed medical decisions towards her/his health, based on the results of such a test. A new study performed at the Rutgers shows that certain vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower have natural ingredients in them, which are likely to reduce the risk of developing hereditary cancers.

According to Kong, a professor of pharmaceutics in the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey, their research has proved the relationship between what type of food you eat and cancer prevention. The research has made it absolutely clear that chemo preventive compounds in the food we eat can influence the expression of cancer-related genes.