In 2005, 100,514 Australians were diagnosed with cancer, and over 10,000 of these cancers will be due to heritable causes. The impact of familial cancer by definition extends beyond the individual, affecting tens of thousands of parents, siblings, and children. The study of familial cancer causes has arguably made the greatest single contribution to our understanding of cancer biology. This knowledge is used clinically to guide investment in screening and prevention, as well as being translated into new treatments.
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Thorne et al. (2011) studied this question.
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