Family History of Cancer

You can inherit your mother’s eyes, your father’s cheekbones — and possibly grandpa’s colorectal cancer.

Having a family history of some cancers can increase your risk for developing those cancers in your lifetime. But so can adopting the same behaviors — like tobacco use or being obese — that your relatives had.

The likelihood of developing cancer can also be passed along in your genes — the DNA that determines your physical traits. Since cancer is a disease that causes certain cells to grow out of control, it’s possible that you have DNA that can increase your risk for some types of cancer.

What should I do if I have a family history of cancer?

There are three key steps you should take if you have a family history of cancer.

• Know. You can’t lower your risk of developing cancer if you don’t know about it. Make a point of asking your loved ones about cancer occurrences in your family. Did your parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. have cancer? Family reunions and holiday get-togethers are a great time to ask.
• Control. Take responsibility for the risk factors that you can control. You can’t help your age, ethnicity or family history, but you can control your weight, tobacco use, environmental exposures and other risk factors.
• Watch. Discuss your family history with your medical provider. Make sure they’re aware of the type of cancer and how close of a relative had it. They may recommend screening for cancer earlier or more often to help catch it as early as possible, when treatment is most effective.