Date Published: 05/30/2008 [Source]
All cancers are genetic in origin. Carcinogenic agents induce cancer by causing genetic mutations that allow cells to escape normal biological controls. This is true even if the carcinogen is environmental, like tobacco smoke or radon, or if the cause is viral.
This is true even if the carcinogen is environmental, like tobacco smoke or radon, or if the cause is viral, like Helicobacter pylori or human papillomavirus.
But sometimes, a single potent cancer-causing mutation is inherited and can be passed from one generation to the next. An estimated 5 to 10 percent of cancers are strongly hereditary, and 20 to 30 percent are more weakly hereditary.