Hi Ruth and thank you for your post.

I am sorry to learn that both your mum and nan have been diagnosed with cancer. I can see how this may be a cause of 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.

Genetic testing is usually offered to people with a strong family history, as this predicts who is most likely to have inherited a cancer gene fault. If there is a strong family history of cancer, for example, you have two close relatives ( parent, child, or sibling) on the same side of your family with the same type of cancer, or the cancer developed at a young age, then there may be a concern about the possibility of an inherited cancer gene fault. In this situation, some families are referred to genetic clinics.

If you are still worried this is something that your GP can advise you about so do discuss it with them when you have the chance.

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

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