Hereditary cancer cases on the rise in India: Experts

observed every year on February 4. On this day, experts express their concern over the rising cases of `familial cancer` in India.

Familial cancer is characterised by gene mutations in two or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with the same type of cancer. According to experts, this condition is influenced by hereditary predisposition, variable gene penetrance, and environmental factors.

“Familial cancers arise when multiple family members develop the same cancer more often than chance dictates. While environmental factors can play a role, many cases involve inherited gene mutations, increasing cancer risk,” Mandeep Singh Malhotra, Director of Surgical Oncology at CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, told IANS on Saturday.

“These `genomic cancers` comprise 5-10 per cent of global cancer cases and understanding them is crucial for prevention. Other notable familial cancer types include medullary thyroid cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), and Lynch syndrome, linked to colorectal cancers,” he added.

A data analysis conducted by Metropolis Healthcare on Hereditary Cancer Syndromes revealed a 49.02 per cent overall positivity rate.

It studied the results of 102 patients who underwent for testing.