All cancers are due to changes in genes.
The majority of cancer is due to gene changes acquired during a person's lifetime and is not considered to be inherited or hereditary. In these cases, cancer is linked to an inherited trait which can be passed on to a person's children, grandchildren and other extended family members. Cancer due to an inherited trait results from a change in at least one gene that occurred before conception, and at least one additional change in a gene occurring after conception. A change that occurs before conception can be passed from one generation to the next. One in every 3 people will develop cancer in their lifetime.