This doesn’t mean you'll definitely get cancer if some of your close family members have it, but that you may have an increased risk of developing certain cancers compared to other people.

Am I more at risk if my relatives have cancer?

It’s estimated that only about 2 or 3 in every 100 cancers (2-3%) are associated with an inherited faulty gene. Cancers caused by inherited faulty genes are much less common than those caused by other factors, such as ageing, smoking, being being overweight and not exercising regularly, or not eating a healthy, balanced diet. Most cancers develop as a result of a combination of risk factors, which in some cases can include family history. Some types of cancer are less likely to be genetic, such as <a href="/cervical-cancer">cervical cancer</a> and <a href="/lung-cancer">lung cancer</a>.

Are all types of cancer hereditary?

<h1>Likelihood of cancer in family</h1> It's only likely that a cancer gene is present in a family if: <ul> <li>there are two or more close relatives on the same side of the family (your mother’s or your father’s side) with the same type of cancer, or with particular types of cancer that are known to be linked – for example, breast and ovarian cancer or bowel and womb cancer</li> <li>cancers are occurring at young ages (before the age of 40)</li> <li>a close relative has had two different types of cancer (rather than one cancer that has spread)</li> </ul> ::: body-ad-desktop zones:: 232632,232373,232640 types:: 163 disclaimer:: AD typeFilter:: native_ad adCount:: 1 ::: ::: body-ad-mobile zones:: 232632,232373,232642 types:: 5,163 disclaimer:: ADVERTISEMENT typeFilter:: display/native_ad adCount:: 1 :::

When to see a doctor

You should contact your doctor if some close family members have developed the types of cancer mentioned above and you’re worried that you might develop cancer yourself. They'll ask about your family history, and if they think there's a chance you have an increased risk of developing cancer, they'll refer you to a genetic counsellor, family cancer clinic or a cancer specialist.



This doesn’t mean you'll definitely get cancer if some of your close family members have it, but that you may have an increased risk of developing certain cancers compared to other people.

## Are all types of cancer hereditary?

It’s estimated that only about 2 or 3 in every 100 cancers (2-3%) are associated with an inherited faulty gene.

Cancers caused by inherited faulty genes are much less common than those caused by other factors, such as ageing, smoking, being being overweight and not exercising regularly, or not eating a healthy, balanced diet. Most cancers develop as a result of a combination of risk factors, which in some cases can include family history.

Some types of cancer are less likely to be genetic, such as [cervical cancer](/cervical-cancer) and [lung cancer](/lung-cancer).

### Likelihood of cancer in family

It's only likely that a cancer gene is present in a family if:

- there are two or more close relatives on the same side of the family (your mother’s or your father’s side) with the same type of cancer, or with particular types of cancer that are known to be linked – for example, breast and ovarian cancer or bowel and womb cancer
- cancers are occurring at young ages (before the age of 40)
- a close relative has had two different types of cancer (rather than one cancer that has spread)


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## When to see a doctor

You should contact your doctor if some close family members have developed the types of cancer mentioned above and you’re worried that you might develop cancer yourself. They'll ask about your family history, and if they think there's a chance you have an increased risk of developing cancer, they'll refer you to a genetic counsellor, family cancer clinic or a cancer specialist.

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Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

Some types of cancer can run in families. Learn more about the risk of cancer here - using content verified by certified doctors.