Can I inherit breast cancer in the family, and should I get tested?
Breast cancer can be hereditary, and if you recognise multiple cases in your family, it is sensible to discuss this with your GP or a genetic counsellor so you can determine whether testing is worthwhile.
Breast cancer can indeed be hereditary. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancer cases have a hereditary cause. The most well-known culprits are mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. A single faulty copy is enough to raise the risk significantly, because the abnormal gene is inherited as a dominant trait. Besides BRCA1 and BRCA2, other genes also increase the risk: some substantially (such as TP53, PTEN and CDH1), others to a lesser but still clinically relevant degree (such as ATM, CHEK2 and PALB2).
Whether breast cancer in your family may be hereditary depends on a few recognisable signs. Have several cousins, aunts or uncles, parents or grandparents on the same side of the family died of breast or ovarian cancer? Was anyone younger than 36 when they received the diagnosis? Did anyone have cancer in both breasts? Or are there also cases of prostate, pancreatic or stomach cancer in the same branch of the family? The more signals of this kind, the greater the likelihood that a hereditary mutation is involved.
Getting tested then has real benefits. If you know you carry a mutation, doctors can adjust your screening, for example with an annual breast MRI. If symptoms are already present, a confirmed BRCA1/2 mutation can also change the treatment: there are medicines that work specifically in people with such a mutation, by preventing cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA. In serious cases, preventive surgery may also be considered.
Before undergoing a genetic test, you first consult a genetic counsellor. They use questionnaires and calculation models to estimate how likely you are to carry a hereditary mutation, so that testing is targeted and meaningful. Commercial panel tests that examine many genes at once have become more affordably available, but not every abnormality found immediately yields clear advice. Some findings remain ambiguous, particularly for genes whose clinical significance for your population group has not yet been well mapped. That makes guidance from a specialist indispensable.
All claims are based on reviews indexed in PubMed. No randomised trials or meta-analyses have been included. The causal link between BRCA1/2 mutations and breast cancer is well supported by scientific evidence; the added value of broad panel tests outside classic high-risk criteria is less clear-cut.
Is breast cancer population screening worth it?
For most women, participating in the population screening programme yields more benefit than cost, though this varies by age and risk profile. If you have dense breast tissue or a family history of breast cancer, discuss with your doctor whether supplemental testing makes sense for you.
Does being overweight increase my risk of cancer, and if so, which types?
Excess weight increases your risk of at least 13 types of cancer, including uterine, colorectal, breast and liver cancer. Losing weight reduces that risk, although it remains unclear whether all methods of weight loss are equally effective for immune defence against cancer.
Should I, as a man, get tested for prostate cancer with the PSA test?
Whether the PSA test is worthwhile depends on your personal risk. Men aged 55 to 69 with an elevated risk, such as a family history or Black ethnicity, have the greatest reason to discuss this with their GP.
Can long-term inflammation in your body cause cancer?
Prolonged inflammation is one of the most robustly supported risk factors for cancer. Well-known causes such as smoking, substantial obesity, and certain infections are modifiable, so addressing them concretely lowers your risk.
Does sitting a lot increase my risk of cancer, even if I exercise?
Sitting a lot increases your risk of certain cancers, even if you exercise. In addition to moving regularly, try to reduce your sitting time itself, because the two only partially compensate for each other.
What can I do myself to lower my risk of cancer?
By not smoking, limiting alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising enough, you can demonstrably lower your risk of several common cancers, even if cancer runs in your family.