Question

What is the difference between saying that cancer is inherited and saying that the predisposition to cancer is inherited?

Short answer

Answer: The main difference between the two statements is that the first one suggests a direct and certain inheritance of cancer from parent to child, whereas the second one indicates that only the risk or probability of developing cancer is inherited, and other factors, such as environment and lifestyle, also contribute to the actual development of cancer in an individual.

Step-by-step solution

Define the First Statement: Cancer is inherited

This statement suggests that cancer itself is directly passed down from one generation to another. If a parent has cancer, their offspring would also have cancer due to genetic inheritance alone.

Define the Second Statement: The predisposition to cancer is inherited

This statement implies that the likelihood or probability of developing cancer can be inherited. A person may be born with a higher genetic risk of developing cancer due to their family history, but it doesn't mean they'll definitively develop cancer. The risk factors and environmental influences also play a significant part in determining whether an individual would develop cancer during their lifetime.

Compare the Statements

The main difference between the two statements lies in the certainty of the outcome. The first statement suggests that cancer is definitively inherited, meaning if a parent has cancer, their children would also inherit cancer. On the other hand, the second statement indicates that the genetic tendency or risk of developing cancer can be inherited, but it is not guaranteed that the individual will develop cancer solely based on their genetic predisposition.

Conclusion

The main difference between the two statements is that the first one ("Cancer is inherited") suggests a direct and certain inheritance of cancer from parent to child, whereas the second one ("The predisposition to cancer is inherited") suggests that only the risk or probability of developing cancer is inherited, and other factors, such as environment and lifestyle, also contribute to the actual development of cancer in an individual.