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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Published on: February 9, 2024
How common is familial cancer?
K Hemminki1, J Sundquist, J L Bermejo
1Division of Molecular Genetic Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany. k.hemminki@dkfz.de
Summary
Family history significantly impacts cancer risk, with prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers showing the highest familial proportions. These findings quantify cancer heritability for public health statements.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
- Oncology
Background:
- Family history of disease suggests heritable or environmental causes.
- Familial disease proportion is defined by the occurrence of the same disease in multiple family members.
- Family history assessment requires specifying generational depth and age ranges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate site-specific familial proportions for various cancers.
- To quantify the extent to which cancer diagnoses occur within families.
- To establish a basis for statements regarding family history prevalence in cancer patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, a comprehensive global resource.
- Included cancer data from the Swedish Cancer Registry for 34 distinct cancer sites.
- Calculated familial proportions for offspring up to age 72 with diagnosed parental or sibling cancer.
Main Results:
- Prostate cancer exhibited the highest familial proportion (20.15%), followed by breast (13.58%) and colorectal (12.80%).
- Salivary gland cancers had the lowest familial proportion (0.15%), with several other cancer types below 1%.
- Familial proportions were influenced by cancer prevalence and familial risk factors.
Conclusions:
- The calculated familial proportions provide a reliable basis for stating the percentage of cancer patients with a family history of the disease.
- These data can inform risk assessment and genetic counseling.
- Quantifying familial cancer occurrence is crucial for understanding disease etiology.
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