If the new findings are to be believed then chances of developing cancer are determined that whether your first-degree relative has an early cancer or not. The study sates that the relatives of an early age first-degree cancer patient are at a very high risk of developing the same ailment. The study that has been conducted at Wayne State University in Detroit examined the possibility of cancer among family members of people who developed an early-onset lung cancer.
During the course of study as many as 673 subjects who had developed cancer before turning 50 years and 3,556 parents and their siblings were examined. It was found that people who have lung cancer relatives have double risk for lung cancer compared with those people whose relatives have cancer but their disease is under control. The risk level is same for females as well.
The researchers said:
Ideally the knowledge that a family history of early-onset lung cancer may be a risk factor for both tobacco-related and other types of cancers may encourage individuals to adopt healthier behaviors, including smoking cessation and appropriate screening.
When the study analyzed cancer risk by race then it was found that the white and not the black relatives of person with lung cancer were at a high risk of developing endometrial cancer.
Study also came up with the result that African-American relatives of lung cancer cases are at a high risk for head, neck, lung and tobacco-related cancer. The team found that African-Americans had twice the risk of these three cancers in comparison to the white.
Source: Reuters