angelofcharlie20 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hi Folks, Just wondering if anyone knows how much hereditary plays in lung cancer. My Father had non small cell and was a non smoker. I'm a hypochondriac by nature and don't know what I can do to help myself considering symptoms don't appear until the cancer is pretty advanced. Any insight is welcome. I would love to know that I am not alone in this paranoia. My Father's one year anniversary just past and this is constantly on my mind: the "what if" I have it but I don't know it. A little background on me. I'm 26 and have never smoked before (not that that has anything to do with it.) Ciao, Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 YOu may want to link up to Dr. West, our resident LC oncologist, for lots of great info on this subject. Links to his site can be found here Just click on the link and be redirected to his site.. http://www.onctalk.com/post/ Registration is free and advice and insight is priceless!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
recce101 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hi, Shirley: Hypochondriacs are welcome! I think all of us with or near cancer develop tendencies in that direction. I believe genetics does play a role, but I doubt if anyone knows for sure how much. There was no cancer in my family, except my father, who died "with but not from" prostate cancer, not uncommon for guys in their 80s. My advice would be to enjoy life to the fullest, make every day count, be health conscious but not obsessively so, be vigilant about any respiratory problems that come up, push for a chest x-ray and/or CT scan if you're not satisfied (many docs don't even think of lung cancer if a young nonsmoker comes in with a cough or shortness of breath), and realize that with every passing day lung cancer becomes more of a manageable chronic condition and less of a death sentence. Aloha, Ned Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 I don't know if there is a % or how much is linked to lung cancer being hereditary, but I had 4 doctor's tell me that mine was (also) caused do to hereditary. I lost my father, mother, sister, uncle, and grandfather to lung cancer. I might add we were all smokers. I also have heard that having cancer in your family, (of any kind) like heart disesase can and is passed down through the genes. I know of many many many people that there mother had breast cancer, father had colon cancer, grandfather had prostate cancer and then they (themselves) were dx.d with lung cancer, (never smokers). Lung Cancer is NOT just a smokers disease. Radon is the 2nd cause of lung cancer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsC1210 Posted October 27, 2007 Share Posted October 27, 2007 Hey Shirley I cannot add to what we already talked about before but wanted to say... WELCOME BACK TO THE BOARD!! You got some great answers here, I hope they help put your mind at ease or at least give you some insight to your next move. I am so glad to see your post. Hugs Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelofcharlie20 Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 Thank you so much to all that responded. It sure does put my mind at ease a little bit, but it is very difficult for the me not to think of the C word. I guess I've always been a hypochondriac. I think I was the only elementary schooler to think that I had tetanus after getting nicked by a nail in the bathroom. Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 They don't seem to know too much about it right now and unfortunately there is no genetic testing for it. I had genetic testing the other week for breast/ovarian cancer b/c of family history, but they said no current testing for lung. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelofcharlie20 Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 I thought about asking for a chest xray for my physicals. Katie, did your insuranace company give you any grief about a scan every year? Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 My sister always worried she was going to get lung cancer..and sure enough she did. You should try to imagine yourself with a new house or new car instead of cancer. Think positive thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmydad Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 My dad went to doc because he was coughing up blood in the mornings and the chest x-ray they did came back all clear. Had he not insisted on a ct scan they would not have found the 3cm mass in his right lung that was not found on the x-ray. To say the least I don't have alot of faith in x-rays. However, I to have considered getting ct scans, but am curious as to how often to get them. Is a yearly ct scan safe? On the flip side, dad had one 2 years ago and there was nothing there then, so is 2 years too long to wait? I hate to have to think that I have to spend everyday of the rest of my life worring about getting lc also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelofcharlie20 Posted October 29, 2007 Author Share Posted October 29, 2007 I had definitely contemplated playing up some symptoms at my annual to put the bug in my doctor's ear. I also thought about the unreliability of xrays but I figured that they would be more likely to pay for that than a CT scan. I figured "better than nothing." I also questioned how safe yearly scans and xrays would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBeth Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 The University of Cincinnati has done much research in the fields of lung cancer and genetic testing. This link has some useful information. http://www.eh.uc.edu/gelcc/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmydad Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 So basically my son and myself are doomed. Guess I can just start waiting for the axe to drop. Hopefully I will have at least another 5 years before I get it. (39 now) Teresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treebywater Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Anecdotaly, it sure seems to me like there could be a link. Between people here with histories like Bill's family, and my own family's experience... Two or three of Mom's maternal Uncle's had LC, 1 or 2 of her Paternal Uncle's. All of my grandparents siblings including him succombed to some form of cancer, and four of my Mom's 7 siblings (her included in that number) have battled cancer. Sometimes it feels like for me it's an issue of 'when' and not 'if.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I hope you aren't telling your son these things. You should really focus more on positive things. I can't imagine worrying about something so much that may but probably won't happen. I really believe that if you think about something constantly, your mind will eventually give in and give it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmydad Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Of course I have not talked to my son about this. Give me a little credit please!!!!! Until you suffer from hypochondria you have now idea what it is like for those of us who do. And having cancer enter my life did not help me any, nor the fact that my father was adopted and I don't know what his family history is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Isn't there something you can take for your illness? Paxil or something. I am not trying to be insensitive, but that way of life has got to be extrememly stressful and I do not think it has to be necessary if there is something to help you with it. I know people at work who are hyperchondriacs and I feel really sorry for them. There is one lady here with twins, who takes her kids to the doctor at least once a week. I wonder if this doesn't spread to the kids..that is why I made my statement about your son. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvmydad Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I do take anti-depressants. Unfortunatley they are not a fix all cure all. Don't we wish it was that easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bev'sSister Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 As I read over my posts, I realized that they seem angry and I have to apologize. I guess maybe I am in that "angry" stage after just losing my sister. I probably should not post anymore until I am through this stage. AGAIN, MY APOLOGIES to all who are affected with this stressful and sad disease. Bobby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelofcharlie20 Posted October 30, 2007 Author Share Posted October 30, 2007 I think being "angry" is ok. Emotions - no matter good or bad are ok. Emotions are normal. I can relate to Teresa, it's very hard to think positive when I spent so much time watching my Father get sicker and sicker. However, I do think that over obsessing over it isn't healthy, but I think some troublesome thoughts are and are normal. This thought has affected me since the one year anniverary just past. It's really tough to think that a tumor could be growing in me right now and that I won't have any symptoms until it is quite advanced. I'm going to be honest, since I've been thinking about this, I've been having what I call some "odd" sensations in my left arm and just random pains. It could be gas (sorry TMI) or it could be something else. I don't know about the rest of you, but the unknown is quite mysterious and it isn't always good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie B Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Dear Angelofcharlie20, Every Day is an UNKNOWN! You could be becoming a heart disaese patient, or a chrones disease patient, or diabitic, or luekima patient or just about anything for that matter. It's all an unknown. That's life and part of life is death. Worring about something you THINK you might or might not get, isn't going to make things easy for you. Your little brain committee is going to be working overtime. Do your preventitive options for your health issues and move on and enjoy life. Yestereday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, Today is a Gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leela Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 Wonderful post, Connie. Sometimes we all need a reminder of those things. You're right - today IS a gift - that's why they call it the "present". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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