Cancer 'runs in the family'

MYTH: Some families are more prone to certain cancers, proving that cancer is a genetic disease.

TRUTH: Little is known of the genetics of most types of cancer, but very few cancers seem to have a hereditary factor. However, there are indications that some families may have a higher risk of developing cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, stomach, lung and-possibly--ovaries. This is attributed to the fact that families often have the same dietary and lifestyle habits. The cancers they develop are, therefore, not inherited but familial.

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