A. A cancer is a genetic disease which is often inheritedCancer is regarded as a genetic disease because it is caused by mutations in the genome. (normally in somatic cells not germ cells and mutations contributing to cancer are rarely inherited). To form malignant cancer a cell must acquire a small number of mutations (probably about six) each of which gives the cell a growth or survival advantage. Because cells have to accumulate mutations before they become malignant cancers, most cancers arise in older people. Incidence rates for most forms of cancer rise exponentially with increasing age, and cancer is predominantly a disease of old age. Cells which have accumulated some growth-promoting mutations give rise to tumours located at a single site. These are regarded as benign until cells start to leave the tumour and establish secondary tumours at other sites. This process is called metastasis

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