Each and every one of us inherits two copies of genes – one copy from our mother and one copy from our father. Most individuals are born with normal copies of each gene. Hereditary cancer occurs when a person is born with changes or mutations in one copy of a damage-controlling gene which normally protects and fights cancer cells.

Individuals with an inherited gene change have a 50% chance of passing the mutation to their children. These changes may increase the risk for cancers in different parts of the body. However, these changes do not increase the risk for every type of cancer, and not everyone who is born with a gene change will develop cancer.