Will My Children Get Cancer Because of Me?

Most cancers are not inherited. Only around 5 to 10 percent of all cancers run in families through a specific gene mutation passed from parent to child. The rest are caused by random cell damage, ageing, or environment, not anything you did or carried. Even when a hereditary gene is in the family, it raises risk, it doesn’t promise the cancer. Genetic testing tells you exactly where you stand.

According to Prof. Dr. Sandeep Nayak, Surgical Oncologist in India, “The guilt I see in parents after their diagnosis is often heavier than the actual genetic risk. Most cancers aren’t inherited at all, and even the ones that can be passed on are about raised risk, not certainty, which changes the whole conversation.”

The short answer is no, and the genetics behind it are more reassuring than they sound.

• Most random: Around 90 to 95 percent of cancers happen from random cell damage and ageing. They aren’t passed down to children at all.
• Few hereditary: Only 5 to 10 percent of cancers come from inherited gene changes like BRCA1, BRCA2 or Lynch syndrome.
• Risk not certainty: Even carrying a cancer gene raises risk, it doesn’t guarantee cancer. Many carriers live full lives without ever developing it.
• Family pattern matters: A real hereditary risk shows itself across generations, multiple young diagnoses on the same side, not one cancer in one parent.

So the odds of “passing it on” are far smaller than the fear suggests. For patients whose treatment includes surgery, robotic cancer surgery is one part of a treatment plan with family history considered alongside.

A few practical steps give clear answers and real peace of mind.

• Genetic counselling: A genetic counsellor reviews your family history first to judge whether testing is even worthwhile, before any blood test is taken.
• Genetic testing: If a pattern fits, testing can identify the specific gene change. Children can then be tested too, but usually as adults.
• Earlier screening: If a hereditary gene is found, children get screening earlier than the general population, which catches problems decades before symptoms.
• Healthy basics: No diet stops a gene, but a healthy weight, no smoking and routine check-ups still lower risk for everyone in the family.

So the right plan turns worry into action. And whatever the genetics, knowing what’s normal versus what to check, like a painless lump, is part of the everyday reassurance every family should have.

Dr. Sandeep Nayak brings 24 years of surgical oncology experience, DNB qualifications in Surgical Oncology and General Surgery and a fellowship in Laparoscopic and Robotic Onco-Surgery to the care of patients and their families. He approaches hereditary concerns honestly, not as alarm, helping patients understand what their cancer actually means for the people they love.

That clarity is what separates real risk from the guilt many parents carry needlessly. Every case at MACS Clinic goes through a full tumour board, where family history and genetics are part of the plan from day one. Call +91 8104310753 to book your consultation.

References:

1. National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes. https://www.cancer.gov/
2. World Health Organisation — Cancer. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer