What are the Risk Factors for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes?
The primary risk factor for hereditary cancer syndromes is the presence of a family history of the disease. If multiple family members have had the same or related types of cancer, especially at younger ages, it may indicate a hereditary cancer syndrome. Other risk factors include known genetic mutations in the family and certain ethnic backgrounds that have higher prevalence of specific mutations, such as Ashkenazi Jewish descent for BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations.
