[Infographic]: Hereditary cancer: What you need to know

From breast cancer to prostate cancer, bowel cancer and even skin cancer, many forms of the Big C are thought to be hereditary.

But is this really the case?

Well, as cancerorg.uk explains, cancer isn't hereditary in the true sense of the word. Hereditary means that you get a trait, such as eye colour, height, etc. from the genes you inherit from your parents.

Cancer isn't as simple as that. It's not caused by one gene. It's causes by several.

That said, however, some family to inherit faulty (mutated) genes. This makes them more likely to develop a particular type of cancer.

For example, women with a faulty BRCA1 gene have an 80% chance of getting cancer at some point in their lives.

If your family history indicates a higher risk of a certain form of cancer, check out the infographic below. It gives you all the information you need on so-called “hereditary cancers”.

If cancer ‘runs in your family”, here’s what you need to know 

PS: If you’re worried cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's are in your genes, don’t miss this life-saving event! 

Tags: cancer, hereditary cancer, genetics and cancer, causes of cancer, family cancer