• Question: are certain people prone to cancer?

    Asked by rhiannasilcocks to Artem, Caroline, John, Gunther on 20 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Matt Gunther

      Matt Gunther answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      There are arguments and evidence to suggest certain people are prone to cancer. For instance, if certain cancers have been prevalent in your family history, there is an argument to suggest the probability of you contracting that cancer may be higher.

      However, cancers are dependent upon a number of different factors. For instance, lung cancer is heavily connected to people who smoke heavily, colon cancer is linked to diet and there are cancers linked to excessive consumption of alcohol. If you maintain a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly, it is believed you minimise the risk of contracting cancers!

    • Photo: Artem Evdokimov

      Artem Evdokimov answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Generally speaking, yes. There is strong evidence that mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes result in higher chances of acquiring breast cancer (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA) and the prevalence of such mutations can be traced through hereditary lines in e.g. Ashkenazi Jewish families.

      Notably, scientists believe that only about 6-10% of cancer risk is inherited! The rest is random/lifestyle based as Matt already mentioned.

    • Photo: John Short

      John Short answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Yes, some people because of family genetics means that because some close member of your family has cancer you have a high probability of developing cancer.

      To be a little more in depth, you inherit genes from both parents, like the genes that give you your skin tone, hair color, eye color, etc. You also inherit two genes called cell cycle genes, or better known as Tumor Suppressor Genes. Being ‘predisposed’ means you’ve inherited one good tumor suppressor gene and one mutated copy (gene). One good copy is enough to prevent your cells from dividing abnormally. So you can be born with one mutated copy, but not actually get cancer unless the other copy accidentally gets mutated at some point in your life. For example, mutations from the second copy could be the result of UV light from the sun, like in the case of melanoma. Since you have been born with one mutated copy already, you are predisposed to getting cancer.

      But I agree with Matt, environmental factors and more importantly I would add the choices you make have a huge part to play as well – especially things like not wearing sun protection when you go on holiday or using sun beds would leave you at a high risk of developing cancer from UV rays.
      Smoking, of course puts you at risk.

      Women however are more prone to getting certain types of cancers because of biology. Cancers of the cervix are caused by human papilloma virus strains, so it is important to get vaccinated against that if you can. Prostate cancer in men may be linked to higher levels of certain hormones. High levels of male hormones (androgens) such as testosterone, such as used by people who take that in sports illegally may play a part in prostate cancer risk in some men.

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