Several people from my family They have had cancerand I am terrified of suffering it too. How can I reduce my chances?
It is true that having a family history of cancer Increases the risk of developing the disease. But it is not inevitable.
In a recent study, researchers used 2019 data on cases of cancer among US adults of 30 years or more, and calculated that about 40 percent of cases were caused by lifestyle factors that you can change.
“Actually, it is good news,” said Farhad Isami, lead author of the study and principal scientific director of research on cancer’s disparity in American cancer society. This means that you can reduce the risk making better decisions for your health, he said. Here are some steps that you can follow.
Gather specific information about your family history
People with family history of cancer are more likely to inherit genetic changes transmitted by their parents, which increase their risk of cancer.
This is especially true if relatives of first or second grade have suffered the disease, said Amy Comander, medical director of the Mass General Waltham Center, Massachusetts. So gather information about your parents, brothers and children, as well as about your grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and stepbrother.
At what age were they diagnosed? The younger they were – especially if they were less than 50 years old -, the more likely they were due to genetics, Comander said.
What kind of cancer did they have? Many cancers may be due to genetic changes inherited from your parents, and the most frequent are those of mother, ovary And colorectal, experts said. If several people from your family had those cancers, it may be a sign that it was caused by their genetics, Comander said.
And look for patterns, he added. One thing is that your uncle develop lung cancer after decades smoking cigarettes, for example, and another that several non -smokers develop the disease in an early period of their life.
Try with genetic tests
If your doctor considers it necessary, you can refer to a genetics specialist that will check if there are variations in the genes that increase your risk, said Syed Ahmad, interim director of the Oncological Center of the University of Cincinnati.
“Many times, patients are afraid to go to a genetic advisor” for “fear of the unknown,” said Ahmad. But having genetic variants (sometimes known as mutations) does not necessarily guarantee that you are going to develop a disease, he added.
If several members of your family have suffered breast cancer, a specialist could test to detect mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, Ahmad said. (More than 60 percent of women with specific changes in these genes will develop the disease).
If several relatives have suffered from colon cancer, they could test you to detect Lynch syndrome, a hereditary genetic disease that can increase the risk by up to 80 percent in men and by 60 percent in women. There are also evidence that evaluates a wide range of genetic changes at the same time.
If you have effectively inherited genetic changes that increase your risk, they will probably send you to a specialist who may recommend test detection tests earlier and more frequent than those suggested for the average person, Comander said.
“You will not want to miss the opportunity to detect something that could be curable,” said Judy Garber, head of the Genetics and Cancer Division of the Dana-Farber Oncological Institute of Boston, Massachusetts.
Your doctor can also suggest optional preventive procedures, Garber added. For example, a patient with a high risk of breast cancer could consider a mastectomy.
Make changes in your lifestyle
Genetic predisposition represents only 10 percent of all cases of cancer at most, Garber said. And some investigations suggest that the disease is usually caused by random errors in the replication of DNA within cells, which means that people “should never blame themselves by contracting cancer,” said Comander. However, There are things you can do to reduce the risk.
Do not smoke
Decades of research suggest that smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer in practically the entire body, especially in the lungs. Your probabilities increase the longer fumes, but it is never too late to leave it, said Islami. A 2021 study discovered that quitting smoking could substantially reverse the risk.
Keep a healthy weight
Who has overweight or is obese is more likely to develop at least 13 types of cancer.
Following a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, at the same time limiting the consumption of red and processed meats, is associated with lower risk. The same goes for exercise, which can reduce the risk of cancer although it does not carry weight loss, said Alison Klein, a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Limit alcohol consumption
The United States general surgeon announced this year that even light alcohol consumption could increase the risk of various types of cancer. No amount of drink is considered safe. But, in general, women should not drink more than one drink a day, while men must limit themselves to two glasses or less, although these guidelines are the subject of debate.
“The more healthy elections do, the better,” Klein said.