What to do if you're worried

Speak to your GP if cancer runs in your family and you're worried you may get it too.Theymay refer you to alocal geneticsservice foran NHSgenetictest, which will tell you if you have inheritedone of the cancer risk genes.

This type of testing is known aspredictive genetic testing. It's "predictive" becausea positive result means you have a greatly increased risk of developing cancer. It doesn't mean you have cancer or are definitely going to develop it.

You may be eligible for this NHS test if the faulty gene has already been identified in one of your relatives, or if there is a strong family history of cancer in your family. See What testing involves , below.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018