It is not possible for a parent to directly pass cancer on to their children.  If a father has cancer when a child is first conceived, he cannot pass that cancer through his sperm.  Similarly if a mother has cancer during her pregnancy that cancer cannot spread to her growing baby.

However, sometimes one, or occasionally both parents, may carry abnormal genes which may increase the risk of their child developing cancer in later life. 

The genes are the tiny clusters of chemicals in all our cells which control how our bodies behave, and copies of these genes are passed on from parents to their children.   We now know that a small number of cancers are caused by faulty genes which are passed down through families.  For example, about 1 in 10 breast cancers is caused by a faulty gene, as are about 1 in 20 bowel cancers. 

If you are are worried that your child might be at an increased risk of cancer because of your family history, you should talk to your doctor. Your GP will ask questions about the family history. If the GP also thinks that it is necessary, she or he will refer you to a genetic counsellor or a cancer specialist. This could be in a family cancer clinic or a cancer genetics clinic.