Cancerbackup: Q-49097727

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Alison

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My cousin has had a cancer called a choriocarcinoma. She is better now but is worried that this might be something she could pass on to her daughters? Can it be inherited?

A choriocarcinoma is a type of cancer that develops from the placenta. It occurs in about 1in every 30,000 pregnancies.

There are also two other, even rarer, types of cancer that can develop from the placental tissue; these are called an invasive mole, and a placental-site trophoblastic tumour.

None of these cancers of placental tissue has a genetic link, and they cannot be inherited, or passed from one generation to the next. This means that you cousin’s daughters will be at no grater risk than any other women of developing a choriocarcinoma, or another type of placental cancer, if they become pregnant in the future.  

For further information see choriocarcinomas Q&A's.


Content last reviewed: 26 May 2005
Page last modified: 31 March 2006

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