Hi Raybay50 and thank you for your post

I am sorry to hear of your family situation. I can see how this would cause concern for you.

A person's risk of developing cancer is due to a combination of our genes, our environment and things to do with our lifestyle, which we are more able to control. Cancer is quite a common disease, 1 in 2 people develop it eventually but mostly in old age. So having relatives with cancer in the family isn't unusual and doesn't necessarily mean that the cancer is genetic. This is quite a complicated topic and it might be useful to look at the section on our website explaining genes and inherited cancer risk.

The NHS Breast screening programme  Is for females between the ages of 50-71.  They go through the list alphabetically and you automatically get a letter for your first mammogram between the ages of 50-53.

If you have concerns you can find your local breast screening service  and you can give them a call to see where you are on the list.

There are lifestyle factors that we can all follow to help reduce our risk of developing cancer.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Tina