Is blood cancer hereditary?

Yes. All blood cancers have heredity as a major risk factor because blood cancer can pass from parent to child through eggs or sperm. Blood cancers such as Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma are often associated with heredity as they can pass from parent to child. All cancers occur due to abnormal changes in normal genes that makes it highly likely for an error to pass from parent to child.


Inheriting a gene that has undergone abnormal mutation does not always mean that the child will develop blood cancer. A child always receives one gene from the father and another gene from the mother. In the presence of one abnormal and another normal gene, a child does not develop blood cancer because of heredity.


The risk of blood cancer increases in every generation when both the genes transferred from mother and father are abnormal. However, it is highly unlikely that every generation receives both the mutated genes. The Mendelian law of inheritance shows in detail why cancer remains recessive in one generation and becomes dominant in another.


study has shown that only 5 to 10 percent of all cancers occur due to heredity. Although blood cancer can pass due to heredity, often the known cases are due to lifestyle, environmental, genetic and workplace risk factors that people can avoid through conscious living.

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Disclaimer
Medical Science is an ever evolving field. We strive to keep this page updated. In case you notice any discrepancy in the content, please inform us at [email protected]. You can further read our Correction Policy here. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website or it's social media channels. Read our Full Disclaimer Here for further information.

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