Incidence of cancer in first degree relatives like siblings, parents etc. increases the risk of cancer by 1.5 to 2 fold. The risk increases further if multiple family members have cancer. In this scenario, it is likely that the family members are carrying a particular genetic mutation in their DNA like p53, BRCA1, BRCA2, PTEN etc. It is advisable that normal individuals with strong family history of cancer get themselves screened regularly by an Oncologist and undergo genetic testing.
