Was there a history of breast cancer in your family?

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  • SamuraiMom
    SamuraiMom Member Posts: 295
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    Me first! Me first! bummer
    I was the first in my family too. I was upset that my two young daughters would have to check "yes" on medical forms for the rest of their lives to 'Has anyone in your immediate family been diagnosed with breast cancer?' I never had to do that. It made me feel like I was immune somehow. Guess not!
    XXOO,
    SamuraiMom
    www.mymastectomyonline.com
  • SamuraiMom
    SamuraiMom Member Posts: 295
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    Me first! Me first! bummer
    I was the first in my family too. I was upset that my two young daughters would have to check "yes" on medical forms for the rest of their lives to 'Has anyone in your immediate family been diagnosed with breast cancer?' I never had to do that. It made me feel like I was immune somehow. Guess not!
    XXOO,
    SamuraiMom
    www.mymastectomyonline.com
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
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    Me first! Me first! bummer
    I was the first in my family too. I was upset that my two young daughters would have to check "yes" on medical forms for the rest of their lives to 'Has anyone in your immediate family been diagnosed with breast cancer?' I never had to do that. It made me feel like I was immune somehow. Guess not!
    XXOO,
    SamuraiMom
    www.mymastectomyonline.com

    my sister was detected in May, 2006
    and died in Dec. 2009.... so I'm scared. When hers came back mine kicked in. SUCKS!!!!
  • SamuraiMom
    SamuraiMom Member Posts: 295
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    Mama G said:

    my sister was detected in May, 2006
    and died in Dec. 2009.... so I'm scared. When hers came back mine kicked in. SUCKS!!!!

    hi
    Hi Mama G,

    I'm so sorry you're feeling this way but man I can see why.

    When I'm feeling scared I go back to the first image that came into my mind when I was first given my diagnosis...a strong, mean Samurai Warrior with a long shiny steel sword ready to kick cancer's butt. You never really know if you'll win the battle but don't go down without a fight!

    My thoughts and prayers are with you!

    XXOO,
    SamuraiMom
    www.mymastectomyonline.com
  • Scotch Freckles
    Scotch Freckles Member Posts: 273 Member
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    No History
    There is no history of any type of cancer in either side of my family. I am the first and hopefully the last. I feel mine was attributed to long term use of hormone replacement meds. My first Onc. told me I was now the family history. I couldn't get rid of this doc quick enough. He was quit the _ _ _......
  • youngnana
    youngnana Member Posts: 41
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    I am the first in my family.
    I am the first in my family. My father had colon cancer at age 65, survived to pass from leukemia at age 75. I am the youngest of 3 girls, diagnosed at age 50....I have 2 adult daughters who now know they have to be extra vigilant and will start their mammograms by age 35, I just hope that soon enough?
  • Katz77
    Katz77 Member Posts: 598
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    I'm #1
    I hope I'm the ONLY one. I have two daughters also with dense brst tissue. Just got me a new grdaughter also. Can't bear to think of my girls getting it. Had BRCA done, since I have no family history on fathers side. It was neg., thank goodness. Good question. It's funny, I did all the things they say reduces ur chances, ie., brst fed all 3 kids, had them all bf 30. Dx at 48 yrs. Sighh, just goes to show, can't ever tell.
  • BlownAway60
    BlownAway60 Member Posts: 851
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    First
    Lots of other types but I am the first with bc.
  • m-star
    m-star Member Posts: 441
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    First
    Lots of other types but I am the first with bc.

    This is why gene
    This is why gene testing/research is so important.

    I greatly believe that there are more defective genes than the BRAC1 & 2 but they just havn't found them. I can't see how many women in 1 family can get BC and there be no connection.

    Same with othet cancers that are deemed 'not hereditory'.

    Lets hope with all the great fund raising people do for cancer research,they can find out more about hereditory cancers in our lifetimes,to help our kids and grandkids.

    My husbands side has BC but not so much primary relatives.The fathers side does count also.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
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    m-star said:

    This is why gene
    This is why gene testing/research is so important.

    I greatly believe that there are more defective genes than the BRAC1 & 2 but they just havn't found them. I can't see how many women in 1 family can get BC and there be no connection.

    Same with othet cancers that are deemed 'not hereditory'.

    Lets hope with all the great fund raising people do for cancer research,they can find out more about hereditory cancers in our lifetimes,to help our kids and grandkids.

    My husbands side has BC but not so much primary relatives.The fathers side does count also.

    I agree...
    My grandfather died from colorectal cancer.

    My sister and I have both had colorectal cancer. HNPCC negative so far...

    MUST be something related!

    AND, my mom and I have both had breast cancer. I have not tested for genes here...just know that my daughter needs to be extra-vigilant. She turns 30 this week. First mammo coming, and she already does stool-blood tests (even tho the nutsy American health insurance won't pay because she is, by their words, 'too young'!).

    Hugs, Kathi
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
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    Yes--strong history
    My paternal grandmother and all of her 3 sisters had breast cancer. One also had colon cancer. All died of breast cancer.

    That grandmother had 3 sons--2 have had colon cancer (one of which was my dad). I was the first of my dad's daughter to be diagnosed with breast cancer at age 33. Two of my 4 sisters soon followed. The undiagnosed sister is on aromasin as a preventive and so far so good. My sisters and I all are ER+. My siblings (2 brothers and 2 sisters) and I have regular colonoscopies and, so far, so good.

    One of my brothers also had thyroid cancer.

    One of my sisters and I were tested for oncogenes but were negative both times. Go figure. My oncologist says that we have a gene that they just haven't found yet. He also said my case was very unusual as most do not have a history.
  • Marsha Mulvey
    Marsha Mulvey Member Posts: 597 Member
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    KathiM said:

    I agree...
    My grandfather died from colorectal cancer.

    My sister and I have both had colorectal cancer. HNPCC negative so far...

    MUST be something related!

    AND, my mom and I have both had breast cancer. I have not tested for genes here...just know that my daughter needs to be extra-vigilant. She turns 30 this week. First mammo coming, and she already does stool-blood tests (even tho the nutsy American health insurance won't pay because she is, by their words, 'too young'!).

    Hugs, Kathi

    First
    I am the first in my known family to have breast cancer. And, I've known a lot of them. I was priviledged to know 3 of my great-grandparents. A great-grandfather lived into his seventies and died when I was young. The same with a great-grandmother who was 99. Another great-grandmother died in her 80's when I was 26. I knew 3 out of 4 of my grandparents, they all lived to be about 80. My mother is 80 right now. None of them had any form of cancer.

    On the other hand, my brother-in-law lost his mother to breast cancer when he was 10. He had cancer in his bladder about 8 years ago. After surgery he remained cancer free for about 4 years and then lost a kidney to it. The cancer was too mingled to remove it so the entire kidney had to be taken. Then his younger sister had a bout with breast cancer, surgery, chemo, and radiation - is doing well. He just had another tumor removed from the wall of his bladder and is following up with 6 weeks of chemo. They have an older sister who has not had any cancer. All of them are in their 50's now.

    Bottom line is anyone can be effected by this disease, family history or not. Best wishes to all.
    MM
  • Sunrae
    Sunrae Member Posts: 808
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    Yes--strong history
    My paternal grandmother and all of her 3 sisters had breast cancer. One also had colon cancer. All died of breast cancer.

    That grandmother had 3 sons--2 have had colon cancer (one of which was my dad). I was the first of my dad's daughter to be diagnosed with breast cancer at age 33. Two of my 4 sisters soon followed. The undiagnosed sister is on aromasin as a preventive and so far so good. My sisters and I all are ER+. My siblings (2 brothers and 2 sisters) and I have regular colonoscopies and, so far, so good.

    One of my brothers also had thyroid cancer.

    One of my sisters and I were tested for oncogenes but were negative both times. Go figure. My oncologist says that we have a gene that they just haven't found yet. He also said my case was very unusual as most do not have a history.

    My mother was dxed at age 63
    My mother was dxed at age 63 with bc, her sister died in her 50's from ovarian cancer and my mom's other sister had bc in her 50's, a first cousin also has bc. Mom died at age 70 after bc came back 2 more times. My sister and I were starting to breathe easier when we both passed 63 years old and no cancer. Then I was dxed in Sept. 09, now stage 3A, had a masectomy and now in chemo. I also had the BRCA test done and it came back negative. Crazy, isn't it? So many in my family and they're saying its not genetic. BULL!!!
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398
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    Sunrae said:

    My mother was dxed at age 63
    My mother was dxed at age 63 with bc, her sister died in her 50's from ovarian cancer and my mom's other sister had bc in her 50's, a first cousin also has bc. Mom died at age 70 after bc came back 2 more times. My sister and I were starting to breathe easier when we both passed 63 years old and no cancer. Then I was dxed in Sept. 09, now stage 3A, had a masectomy and now in chemo. I also had the BRCA test done and it came back negative. Crazy, isn't it? So many in my family and they're saying its not genetic. BULL!!!

    m-star
    Maybe this speaks louder to us than we want to hear. Maybe genetics truly plays less of a roll than we truly want to believe because we are still trying to make sense of it. Instead how about looking at our environments and cities with the huge dark cloud hanging over us. I cannot sit outside of my own home at rush hour because the fumes of tires and exhaust is terrible and that is truly from population growth.
    Our water is contaminated or what little we have and they know this now from testing the ice on our mountain peaks. I am sorry but I am beginning to think Man and Woman just do not want to hear, do not want to believe that we are doing it to ourselves.
    Tara
  • GreeneyedGirl
    GreeneyedGirl Member Posts: 1,077
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    24242 said:

    m-star
    Maybe this speaks louder to us than we want to hear. Maybe genetics truly plays less of a roll than we truly want to believe because we are still trying to make sense of it. Instead how about looking at our environments and cities with the huge dark cloud hanging over us. I cannot sit outside of my own home at rush hour because the fumes of tires and exhaust is terrible and that is truly from population growth.
    Our water is contaminated or what little we have and they know this now from testing the ice on our mountain peaks. I am sorry but I am beginning to think Man and Woman just do not want to hear, do not want to believe that we are doing it to ourselves.
    Tara

    I too was the first~
    and so far only in my family to have breast cancer~my doctor suspects that stress may have played a large part in it for me~juggling a family, work, and an ill parent for a couple years took it's toll. I tried to "do it all" and be super woman~ I may have worn myself too thin.
    Melanie~
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
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    I am the first in my family
    I am the first in my family with breast cancer.

    I too am the first one with
    I too am the first one with bc in my family. :(
  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175
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    I too was the first~
    and so far only in my family to have breast cancer~my doctor suspects that stress may have played a large part in it for me~juggling a family, work, and an ill parent for a couple years took it's toll. I tried to "do it all" and be super woman~ I may have worn myself too thin.
    Melanie~

    me too~im the first
    Im the only one to have breast cancer in my family on both sides ~ except my grandma passed away from ovarian cancer...her and i were diagnosed about the same age.
  • gobluegirl90
    gobluegirl90 Member Posts: 53
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    jo jo said:

    me too~im the first
    Im the only one to have breast cancer in my family on both sides ~ except my grandma passed away from ovarian cancer...her and i were diagnosed about the same age.

    I am the only one with any BC
    I am the only one on either side of my families with any BC, I was diagnosed at 38 yrs on 4/8/10. I had the Brac I and II tests done and both were negative. I hope pray I am the only one who will have to deal with this in my family and I only have to deal with this BC once and once only. CANCER SUCKS!
  • teresa41
    teresa41 Member Posts: 471
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    I am the only one with any BC
    I am the only one on either side of my families with any BC, I was diagnosed at 38 yrs on 4/8/10. I had the Brac I and II tests done and both were negative. I hope pray I am the only one who will have to deal with this in my family and I only have to deal with this BC once and once only. CANCER SUCKS!

    just me
    i am the first in my family also.
  • survivorbc09
    survivorbc09 Member Posts: 4,374 Member
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    Family history but no BRCA
    My mother, her sister and their grandmother all had bc at age 50. I have bc at age 56.

    I felt like a ticking time bomb my whole adult life and I did whatever I could to prevent bc. Thank goodness I got yearly mammograms. Last year I was clear; this year, bc.

    Mom tested negative for BRCA 1 and 2 genetic mutations. It seems obvious that there is a genetic basis to our cancers, but modern testing cannot detect our particular mutation.

    I intend to have my ovaries and uterus out anyway. (Plus, my cancer was estrogen positive.) My oncologist still wants me to have the BRCA test, so I may someday. At any rate, my 16-year old daughter will begin self exams and mammograms earlier than she otherwise would.

    No, there isn't that I know
    No, there isn't that I know of.