Inherited genetic mutations are responsible for around 10% of all cancers, and the three commonest inherited cancer risks affect about 1 in 125 people.

Because carriers can only be confirmed through genetic testing, and population-wide testing is uneconomic, ethically complex, and operationally impractical.

These cancers often affect people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, when symptoms may be dismissed, delaying diagnosis and increasing costs.

Inherited cancer mutations run in families, and close relatives such as children, brothers, and sisters may also carry the same risk.

Yes. If carriers are identified early, evidence-based prevention, surveillance, and follow-up can reduce risk and support the earliest possible diagnosis.