The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of family history of cancer using cohorts participating in the Japanese National Center Cohort Collaborative for Advancing Population Health (NC-CCAPH). We pooled data from seven eligible cohorts of the Collaborative with available data on family history of cancer. Prevalence of family history of cancer and corresponding 95% confidence intervals are presented for all cancers and selected site-specific cancers for the total population and stratified by sex, age, and birth cohort. Prevalence of family history of cancer increased with age ranging from 10.51% in the 15 to 39 year age category to 47.11% in 70-year-olds. Overall prevalence increased in birth cohorts from ≤ 1929 until 1960 and decreased for the next two decades. Gastric cancer (11.97%) was the most common site recorded for family members, followed by colorectal and lung (5.75%), prostate (4.37%), breast (3.43%) and liver (3.05%) cancer. Women consistently had a higher prevalence of family history of cancer (34.32%) versus men (28.75%). Almost one in three participants had a family history of cancer in this Japanese consortium study highlighting the importance of early and targeted cancer screening services.
© 2023. The Author(s).