My brother 34 and been told he has cancer in his Lymph nodes, stomach, liver, esophagus, around abdomen and bowel. Dr and said today the 4/3/26 that is also CUP. Can sibling get check-out to see if it hereditary.
I'm sorry your brother has been diagnosed withCUPand can appreciate you being concerned about your risk of developing cancer in the future.
We don’t know what causes CUP. It's a rare cancer and it's not thought to be hereditary. But there are some risk factors that can increase the risk of developing it. Having one or more of these risk factors doesn't mean that a person will definitely develop this cancer.
The majority of cancers happen randomly. 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 their cancer is hereditary. This is quite a complicated topic and it might be useful to look at our section explaining genes and inherited cancer risk.
In the UK, we have general population screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancer. For general population screening there needs to be tests that are easy, reliable and that carry few risks.
We have some general information about screening on our website and there is also a section that explains why we do not have screening for most cancers.
To have NHS genetic testing, your GP must have a strong reason to believe there is a hereditary condition that could be passed on. Eligibility depends on factors such as family history, age at diagnosis, and the types of cancers involved. Testing isn’t usually offered unless these criteria are met.
The best thing we can all do is to be aware of our body and if we notice any unusual signs or symptoms to get checked out by the GP. There are also lifestyle factors that we can all follow to help reduce our risk of developing cancer.
I hope this is of some help. Give us a ring if you would like to talk anything over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
