2023-08-09 by Khushi Goel

Is there any chance that people can be affected by cancer from birth?"

There would hardly be a person who hasn’t heard about cancer. It has become one of the most common diseases of the century. But what is cancer?

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Genes (segments of DNA) control the function of cell growth inside the body. When these genes are damaged, they lead to abnormal growth of cells leading to cancer.

It is possible for a person to be affected with cancer from birth but it is very unlikely. The children could be affected with cancer from birth if they have inherited cancer causing mutated genes from their parents.

Scientists say that the risk of any individual child developing cancer between birth and 20 years of age is about 1 in 300. Cancer in newborn babies (0-4 weeks after birth) is termed as neonatal cancer which constitutes about 2% of all childhood cancers. Therefore, chances of neonatal cancer maybe low, But, unfortunately, it is possible to be affected by cancer from birth

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24275134/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504346/