Only Five to 10 Percent of Cancers Are Inherited

Thursday, July 25, 2002

ROCHESTER, MINN. — If cancer seems rampant in your family, you could be at higher risk for an inherited cancer. But, it's important to put that risk in perspective, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

An estimated one million new cases of cancer are diagnosed every year. Yet only five to 10 percent of those cases are considered hereditary. And having a hereditary predisposition doesn't mean you'll get cancer. Often you can minimize your risk by making healthy choices about diet, exercise and tobacco use.

A detailed family medical history can help your doctor determine if you are at risk for inherited cancers. Indicators can include:

* Cancer that develops 10 to 20 years earlier than a random cancer.

* Cancer that strikes bilaterally, such as in both breasts or at two different locations in one organ.

* Two or more members of one generation who have the same type of cancer.

Particular tumor site combinations seen within one family, especially breast and ovary, or colon and uterus.

Shelly Plutowski 507-284-5005 (days) 507-284-2511 (evenings) e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-351-8963, extension 9PK1.

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.