My grandmother has had breast cancer. Does this mean that I will get it too?

It is important to remember that 4 out of 5 breast cancer cases are not due to inherited causes.

However, if you have a family history of breast cancer you are more likely to develop breast cancer and at a younger age, but it does not mean that you will definitely get the disease. A person is said to have a family history of breast cancer if they have an unusually high number of close relatives with breast cancer, often at a younger age than would normally be expected. For information on what is considered to be a family history please visit our How we define a family history page.

If you are concerned about your family history you should visit your GP to discuss these concerns. Regardless of your family history, it’s important for all women to be breast aware.  For information, visit our Breast Awareness page.