What is Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week? 

While most cancers are caused by random genetic variations or lifestyle factors, approximately 1 in 10 are hereditary. Hereditary conditions, collectively, are not as rare as some people believe, with millions of people affected around the world. For example, you may have heard the recent news about a new promising treatment for the inherited condition Huntington’s disease, which is notoriously hard to treat. Now, for the first time, new treatments are showing real promise, giving patients and their loved ones more hope than ever before.  Hereditary cancer awareness week aims to empower families to understand their genetic risk, pursue timely screening, and make informed healthcare decisions. Many people are unaware that their family history could predict if they are higher risk. 

The Role of Genetics in Cancer: BRCA and Beyond 

One of the best-known examples of hereditary cancer risk is the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Individuals who inherit these variants face a much higher lifetime risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate, among other cancers compared to the general population. Lynch Syndrome is under-recognised and results in about 0.1% of the population having a significantly increased risk of early onset colorectal, endometrial and ovarian cancer due to multiple genetic mutations. A person with Lynch Syndrome has between 30% and 74% chance of developing colorectal cancer during their lifetime. 

These inherited mutations differ from sporadic cancers, which arise through environmental exposures or random DNA changes. Hereditary cancers often occur earlier in life, may affect multiple family members, and can result in several types of cancer within the same family. 

Why Family History and Screening Matter 

For both patients and healthcare providers, mapping out a detailed family history of cancer can be an important first step toward identifying inherited risk. Because pathogenic variants in genes such as BRCA and those linked to Lynch Syndrome are autosomal dominant, patterns across generations may signal that genetic testing would be beneficial. Early detection makes all the difference. Individuals who test positive for these variants can be offered enhanced screening, preventative medications, or even risk-reducing surgery. Taking these proactive steps can significantly improve outcomes compared to cancers that are only identified at a later stage. 

The Future: From Family Trees to Polygenic Risk Scores 

Population-based genetic screening models are being trialled worldwide, aiming to identify at-risk individuals even if they have no known family history of cancer. Polygenic risk scores, which combine information from multiple genetic variants along with lifestyle factors, are used to predict cancer risk more precisely. National health systems, such as the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, have already signalled a long-term commitment to embedding precision medicine into routine care. Advances in gene therapy, such as a treatment recently shown to slow progression in Huntington’s disease, highlight how rapidly precision medicine is evolving. These breakthroughs demonstrate the potential of genetic insights not only for cancer, but for many inherited conditions.  The aim is to reduce healthcare costs in the long run while improving patient wellbeing by providing interventions that are more effective and better targeted. 

However, there are concerns about wide scale testing, as some people may not want to know that they have a potentially pathogenic variant as it may never cause them any harm. It may also provide a false sense of security if the risk is reported as low (for example, most patients with breast cancer would not have been included within the “high risk” category), and they could ignore early signs of cancer, as they believe they are not at risk. It is therefore important to understand the context of the risk and to ensure patients are empowered with the information they need. 

Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week reminds us that cancer risk can be written in our DNA, but knowledge is power. By increasing awareness, expanding access to testing, and investing in future research, we can transform how families understand and manage their cancer risk. 

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