Having a family member with certain cancers (such as breast or colorectal cancer) increases cancer risks for other family members.
If your family members know their risk, it may change their medical care and help them prevent cancer or find it early.
For this reason, most healthcare providers think it is a good idea to tell other family members about cancer in the family.
The most important family members to share cancer information with are close blood-relatives (parents, brothers, sisters, and children) and others on the side of the family with cancer.
