Sunday, October 24, 2010

Dad has prostate cancer, should I be consider I might have some form of cancer

Dad has prostate cancer, should I be consider I might have some form of cancer?
His brother died of prostate cancer 10months ago. He never went to the doctor though. By time he did go it was beyond treatment and died 4 months after finally going to the doctor. So my dad just found he has it. I don't know if theres any other cancer forms in our family. Should I go to the doctor to get "all over" tested? Thanks im a female so i dont have a prostate. my dad is 58
Cancer - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Men typically think they ae okay and do not need to go to the doctor; even when direly ill. Prostate problems will affect most men by the time they are 70. I have just been treated by radiation for it myself, and I feel that I have been cured. I shall find out the results tomorrow. Your dad should ask his doctor to book n a hospital appointment for him immediately. The treatment does not hurt in the slightest. It is just a matter of turning up each day for 8 weeks for a 10 minutes treatment time. I believe a positive attitude does help. Ladies to do not have prostates so you will not be affected by that particular problem. Still, there is no reason for you not going and having a chat with your general practitioner and see what's what. Good for you to think about it.
2 :
I don't know if there is a carry over in genes with a father with prostate cancer to a daughter, or ovarian cancer in a mother to son, etc. But a lot of people have a tendency to have cancers in families, so you might want to be sure to have breast exams, pap smears, etc and just watch for the same signs as everybody else. Having cancer in a family is no more a sure sign you will get it, than not having any cancer in a family would mean you could never get it. You just have to be on the look out for symptoms, but not be paranoid.
3 :
I wouldn't worry too much since you're female but if you're too concerned you could just make sure to have yearly physicals. We all should but most of us don't. My dad had colon cancer, luckily he caught it before it spread and they got rid of it. Now my sisters and I were told to get a colonoscopy at 40 instead of 50 since it's in the family. I mean anyone can get cancer regardless of lineage but risks are much higher if it runs in the family.
4 :
Cancer is rarely hereditary - fewer than 10% of all cases, all types. A sign that cancer may be hereditary within a family is when several members of the same side of the family have had the same type of cancer, especially if some developed it at a younger than average age. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases (for a male, obviously) if there is a first degree relative who developed it at a young age. Cancer that is diagnosed after the age of 50 is less likely to be hereditary. In a very small number of cases, prostate cancer runs in families because of a faulty BRCA2 gene, which is one of the faulty genes known to be responsible for hereditary breast cancer. But prostate cancer is not normally hereditary. There is no general tendency to inherit cancer. From the information you give, it's unlikely you are at increased risk of cancer.
5 :
You cannot get prostate cancer if you're a girl. Sorry you Uncle died and that your Dad has it, just hope it goes away with treatment.
6 :
I have heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in my family. I don't really worry about it too much, but I do take quite a bit of niacin and a small aspirin every night. I also drink large quantities of green tea.
7 :
I am sorry your family is facing the challenge of cancer with your dad and the loss of your uncle. The following information comes from Susan G. Komen for the Cure: When talking about family history, it’s also important to consider the men in your family. A history of breast cancer in a close male relative (father, brother, uncle), though rare, can significantly increase breast cancer risk. A history of prostate cancer in one or more immediate family members (father or brother) may also increase risk, especially if cancer was found at an early age. Exactly why a family history of prostate cancer may increase breast cancer risk isn’t known yet, though the risk of both cancers is influenced by blood hormone levels.




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Posted by prostate cancer at 9:50 AM