wilken
10-03-2002, 05:45 AM
i am wishing to know about cancers being passed on to another family member.
I "know" its not contagious, but is it heriditary.
My father passed away from Leukemia.AML.
He lasted a year from diagnosis to his passing.
I have been through uterine cancer and had a complete hysterectomy, ovaries etc removed.
Am i more prone to "cancer" if that is possible now that i've already had one type .
I "know" its not contagious, but is it heriditary.
My father passed away from Leukemia.AML.
He lasted a year from diagnosis to his passing.
I have been through uterine cancer and had a complete hysterectomy, ovaries etc removed.
Am i more prone to "cancer" if that is possible now that i've already had one type .
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Jay Tor
10-09-2002, 11:23 PM
Our child was also diagnosed with AML, and after having undergone extensive chemo and a bone marrow transplant is now doing well.
From our child's HEM/ONCs and BMT doctors told us, the odds of having another cancer depend to a large extent on the type of cancer therapy given. For example, radiation therapy can cause nearby cells to eventually change [mutate] into pre-cancerous, and then to cancerous cells. Some chemo drugs used for very aggressive cancers [such as AML] can also cause similar changes to occur in other cells or tissues.
Heredity - this is a tough one to answer because there are so many different types of cancers [over 200] and so many possible cancer-causing agents/situations. You may have a genetic predisposition to some forms of cancer, meaning that some parts of your DNA responsible for certain specific cells, tissues and/or substances may be more susceptible to damage, change or breakage. However, if you can avoid the conditions that could result in the DNA damage, then you will likely avoid the cancer. In this way, you can tip the scales in your favour - avoiding cancer.
On the other hand, you can also tip the scales against yourself if, for example, you are in regular or prolonged contact with substances that can interfere with your DNA's health. These substances include benzene [including its derivatives and by-products], certain fat molecules, specific UV wavelengths, some pesticides, etc.
If you want to learn more about cancer, I suggest you visit the National Cancer Institute's Web site:
http://www.nci.nih.gov/
Good luck,
Jay
From our child's HEM/ONCs and BMT doctors told us, the odds of having another cancer depend to a large extent on the type of cancer therapy given. For example, radiation therapy can cause nearby cells to eventually change [mutate] into pre-cancerous, and then to cancerous cells. Some chemo drugs used for very aggressive cancers [such as AML] can also cause similar changes to occur in other cells or tissues.
Heredity - this is a tough one to answer because there are so many different types of cancers [over 200] and so many possible cancer-causing agents/situations. You may have a genetic predisposition to some forms of cancer, meaning that some parts of your DNA responsible for certain specific cells, tissues and/or substances may be more susceptible to damage, change or breakage. However, if you can avoid the conditions that could result in the DNA damage, then you will likely avoid the cancer. In this way, you can tip the scales in your favour - avoiding cancer.
On the other hand, you can also tip the scales against yourself if, for example, you are in regular or prolonged contact with substances that can interfere with your DNA's health. These substances include benzene [including its derivatives and by-products], certain fat molecules, specific UV wavelengths, some pesticides, etc.
If you want to learn more about cancer, I suggest you visit the National Cancer Institute's Web site:
http://www.nci.nih.gov/
Good luck,
Jay
amlgirl
11-21-2002, 08:07 PM
Hey there. I'm a 16 year old AML survivor, diagnosed Sept/01, ended chemo April/02, had a bone marrow transplant to 'up' my odds in May/02 and I'm doing pretty good.
While some cancers are heritary, my oncolostist said that AML is the result of DNA damage to a myeloblast, but that is mostly aquired and not inherited. Some risks for it are exposure to high levels of radiation, extensive exposure to stuff like benzene, and certain genetic conditions like Downs Syndrome seem to 'predispose' certain people to AMl, but as for me, I was in perfect health when it happened and the doctors have no clue what caused mine.
While some cancers are heritary, my oncolostist said that AML is the result of DNA damage to a myeloblast, but that is mostly aquired and not inherited. Some risks for it are exposure to high levels of radiation, extensive exposure to stuff like benzene, and certain genetic conditions like Downs Syndrome seem to 'predispose' certain people to AMl, but as for me, I was in perfect health when it happened and the doctors have no clue what caused mine.