Abstract
Only about 1% of liveborn children have an inherited disorder which is manifest at birth or develops later, and if one also includes those conditions where there are substantial genetic influences, the figure rises to 2–5%. As an inherited disease, cancer is rare and accounts for only a small proportion of total cancer incidence and mortality. Although clustering of cancer in families is well known, debate centres on whether such cancers are hereditary or whether they represent a shared exposure to similar environmental influences within a family.
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Further Reading
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Note: These sources have been extensively consulted in the compilation of this review.
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Herity, B. (1989). Risk from Heredity, Race and Family. In: Stoll, B.A. (eds) Social Dilemmas in Cancer Prevention. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-10708-7_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-10708-7_8
Publisher Name: Palgrave, London
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