Question: Is polycythemia vera inherited ?
Answer: Most cases of polycythemia vera are not inherited. This condition is associated with genetic changes that are somatic, which means they are acquired during a person's lifetime and are present only in certain cells. In rare instances, polycythemia vera has been found to run in families. In some of these families, the risk of developing polycythemia vera appears to have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Autosomal dominant inheritance means that one copy of an altered gene in each cell is sufficient to increase the risk of developing polycythemia vera, although the cause of this condition in familial cases is unknown. In these families, people seem to inherit an increased risk of polycythemia vera, not the disease itself.
Source: GHR