More or less, all throat cancers are related to smoking and aren't necessarily hereditary. If your family is predisposed to smoking, then the chances of you getting the disease are high. Several inherited genes can predispose family members to cancer in the throat, except for the larynx. Deformed or mutated DNA inherited from the parents may also put an individual at the risk of developing certain cancers. It is rare to see a case of throat cancer stem from genetic causes, but it has been seen that some people have trouble breaking down cancer-causing chemicals. This makes them more sensitive to potential risks like smoking, alcohol, chemicals, etc.