Is cancer genetic? Myths and Facts!

Posted in: Cancer by Dr. Tarang Krishna Posted Date: 21 Jan, 2020

Search for ‘cancer’ online brings up a wealth of important information along with hundreds of words spreading misconceptions. One such question is ‘Is cancer genetic’? Cancer is one of the most rampant human genetic diseases. The change from a normal cell to a malignant cancer is driven by the changes to a cell’s DNA, also known as mutations. According to studies, about 5% to 10% of the cancer cases happen in people who have inherited a genetic mutation that increases the risk of cancer.

How can Genes cause cancer?

Every single cell in your body has a structure called the nucleus, which is the control centre of the cell. It has 23 pair of chromosomes made up of genes which are coded messages telling the cells how to behave. They control how their bodies grow and develop. All cancer develops because of something wrong with one or more of the genes in the cell. Such a change in the gene is called a ‘mutation’.

According to research, a cell must have more than six faults to become cancerous and divide and grow uncontrollably. Most gene changes happen during our lifetime but some can be inherited from a parent. In addition to this, we may experience changes because of exposure to sunlight or cigarettes. These are called carcinogens which do not affect all body cells and cannot be inherited. Cancers caused by acquired mutations are called sporadic cancers.

Inheriting the faulty Cancer Genes

Some of the faulty genes increase the risk of passing cancer from the parent to the child. Such genes are called inherited cancer genes which happens due to faults in the genes in an egg or sperm cell further passing it on the children. Genes which increase the risk of cancer are called cancer susceptibility genes.

These genes would normally protect us against cancer - they correct DNA damage which naturally occurs when cells divide. Inheriting one of the faulty copies of these genes means that it cannot repair damaged DNA in the cells making the cells cancerous. We inherit genes from both our parents. If a parent has a fault in the genes, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting it.

However, being born with an inherited faulty gene does not mean that a person will definitely get cancer but they definitely have a higher risk of developing particular types of cancer. For cancer to develop, further gene changes (mutations) need to happen which usually happens over many years.

Family History of Cancer

With families which have inherited faulty genes, there could be a specific pattern of the different types of cancer running in the family. People who have relatives with cancer will not comprise of an inherited faulty gene. Nowadays, most of the families will have at least one person who has had cancer. The strength of your family history depends on:

• Who in your family has had cancer
• How old they were at diagnosis

You may have a history in the following situations:

• More than two relatives on the same side of the family that is either your father’s relatives or your mother’s relatives who have had cancer.
• Cancer occurred in family members who were young, mostly below the age of 50.
• One of your relatives has had gene fault by genetic tests.
• The relatives have the same type of cancer or different cancers which can be caused by the same gene fault.

Some other Facts and Myths

Cancer is extremely painful in all cancer patients

Fact: Pain is one of the most rampant signs of cancer and the side-effects of traditional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc. However, not all people experience cancer pain. If the pain develops, it can be successfully treated with medications and other pain management techniques. Talk to your cancer doctor for these pain-relief strategies.

Cancer treatments are worse than the disease

Fact: The conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy are known to cause some serious side-effects which can be unpleasant and serious. But the recent improvements in cancer treatments such as immunotherapy cancer treatment have resulted in better results and no or fewer side effects.

If you don’t have a family history of cancer, you are safe from cancer

Fact: Since cancer is caused by genetic defects in the DNA, a large percentage of the population believe that not having a family history of cancer means that they are unlikely to develop cancer. In fact, only about 5-10% of cancer cases are caused by inherited genetic mutations. The remaining are a result of the environment and individual’s lifestyle such as exposure to cancer-causing chemicals or smoking. Still, people with a family history should be screened regularly and maintain a healthy lifestyle as they have a higher risk of developing cancer.

Sugar makes cancer worse

Fact: This myth is based on a study that showed cancer cells consume more glucose than the ordinary cells. Some people concluded that sugar was effectively leading to cancer which then led to the belief that reducing sugar intake can starve the cancer cells. In fact, all cells consume glucose for energy regardless of whether they are cancerous or not. However, cancer cells tend to consume more energy as they grow faster as compared with normal cells leading to higher sugar consumption. Many oncologists have said that there is no evidence that consuming sugar ‘feeds’ cancer cells in particular, nor is there evidence that reducing sugar intake slows down cancer development.

Too old for cancer treatment

Fact: The truth is that there is no age limit for cancer treatment. Decisions about cancer treatment for older adults should be looked into the same way as for younger patients. Depending on the stage of cancer, many older patients benefit as much as younger patients from treatment. However, some older adults may have other illnesses that limit the use of specific treatments.

About The Author

Dr. Tarang Krishna

Dr. Tarang Krishna, Director at Cancer Healer Center, is the perfect epitome of perseverance and dedication.

He has an impressive educational background to his credit. He completed his under-graduation in Medicine and Surgery from Pune, India and did his MD (Hom) from Agra University, India.Thesis on MD was on "Treatment of cancer" where he presented cases of almost 100 patients and the response of the medicines in the treatment of cancer. He then completed his Ph.d in Oncology from the United Kingdom and his thesis on the ‘Efficacy of Medicines in the Treatment of Cancer’ is greatly commemorated and honored.

He befittingly represents alternate medicine and has contributed significantly towards the development and research of immunotherapy.

Through his nationwide chain of “Cancer Healer Center” clinics he strives to offer superior cancer treatment, using immunotherapy.