Is cancer inherited?
There are families with a certain genetic predisposition to develop certain types of cancer, which have been triggered by known and unknown external factors. Great progress has been made in the knowledge of the cell genetic composition, and nowadays we know that certain types of genes contribute to the appearance of cancer in certain situations or when there is exposure to carcinogenic agents. One single alteration is not sufficient, though, there must be a combination of alterations so that cancer appears.
This kind of knowledge is likely to produce greater benefits in the future in the fight against cancer. For the time being, although such investigations have rendered positive results, we still have to go a long way before systematic clinical application is achieved.