After Diagnosis: A Guide for Patients and Families

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Why me?

Can cancer be inherited?

Though many people believe that cancer runs in families, cancer can’t be passed on from parent to child the same way that height and eye color are. While some cancers do have genetic risk factors, most people with cancer have not inherited the disease, nor do they pass it on to their children.


Last Medical Review: 03/08/2012
Last Revised: 01/25/2013