According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one in six deaths worldwide is caused by cancer, with the majority occurring after the age of 50 years. This explains why many people diagnosed with colorectal, liver, stomach, pancreatic, breast, or lung cancer have no previous family history of the disease. “As a surgical oncologist treating gastrointestinal, liver and advanced abdominal cancers, I frequently operate on patients who have absolutely no family history of cancer. Many of them delayed seeking medical attention because they believed they were “not the type of person” who gets cancer,” said Dr. Mehta.
