Tuesday, March 8, 2011

My aunt had breast cancer and now my uncle has prostate cancer? Is it heredity

My aunt had breast cancer and now my uncle has prostate cancer? Is it heredity?
I lost my aunt to it and now my uncle has prostate cancer.
Cancer - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Many cancers are genetically linked and familial, and this is true for breast and prostate cancers. But breast and prostate are different cancers and caused by different things. The fact that they both exist in your family does not add together to a higher risk for you. But having a family member with breast cancer can mean you have a higher risk for that, and same for prostate cancer.
2 :
Not necessarily but with a high rate of cancer in the family I would ask to be checked often, every two years or more.
3 :
50% of all Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is the number 2 cause of death in the U.S. It is quite common. Prostate cancer is the leading form of non-skin cancer, and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. So, your family is really quite 'average'. Below is a link to a very good scientific paper on cancer and how to prevent it. You may find it helpful. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=18626751 Best wishes and good luck.
4 :
Both of these cancers can have a genetic link. Having both in the same family does not increase the risk of either. Are these aunt and uncle both blood relations? Only 10% of breast cancers are genetically linked. Age is the biggest risk factor. What age was your aunt? I get the impression you are female, in which case prostrate cancer is a nonexistent risk. If I am wrong and you are male, your risk of breast cancer, will be extremely low.
5 :
Hereditary cancer is rare - fewer than 10% of all cancer cases. This is true of both breast and prostate cancer; only 5 - 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary and I believe the figure is even lower for prostate cancer. You don't inherit a general tendency to get cancer, and an isolated case of cancer in the family or a number of family members having different types of cancer is not hereditary . 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 usual age. You don't say how old your relatives were at diagnosis. Cancer diagnosed after the age of 50 (as 80% of breast cancers and well over 80% of prostate cancers are) are much less likely to be hereditary. With at least one in three people developing cancer, two or more members of a family having non-hereditary cancers isn't unusual. This is the case in my family. Two of my grandparents died of cancer. Both my parents had cancer and my mother died of it. So did my aunt, my uncle and my cousin. None of their cancers were hereditary, and no members of my immediate or extended family have ever been considered at increased risk of any of the cancers they had. Of my parents' 6 children, now aged between 47 and 60, I am the only one who has developed cancer, and mine too is non-hereditary.
6 :
The cancer gene BRCA is associated with breast cancer in females and prostate cancer in males. Therefore, they can be predisposed for the cancer. All the immediate relatives need to be look out for cancers or atleast to get checked for BRCA mutation in the family.

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