Where does it come from?

KJones1969
KJones1969 Member Posts: 158
in Kidney Cancer #1

My husband's Dad died of colon cancer and two of his brothers have battled prostate cancer with one of them still doing so. Could his RCC come from them having cancer or could it come from years of working around asbestos in the 70's or could it be in the water? We live in a small town of about 2,500, so many people in the last couple of years have died of cancer, not kidney cancer but cancer in general including 2 in our block. I am wondering if you could get it from the water. Does anyone on here have any insige on that?

Thanks for your input/advice!

Karen

Comments

  • Texas_wedge
    Texas_wedge Member Posts: 2,798
    #2
    Causes of cancers

    Karen, the great weight of evidence so far is that RCC is very much an environmental ailment and that genetic causes account for only a small proportion of cases.  Working around asbestos is certainly very bad news but probably more likely to cause  cancers other than RCC and, in particular, mesothelioma.  It is a known cause of lung cancer but also of colon cancer and prostate cancer!  A handy brief introduction can be found at:

    http://www.asbestos.com/cancer/

    If an unusualy high number of people in your locality are succumbing to cancer it does suggest some extra danger in your locality.  Perhaps you were thinking about construction industry work? 

    A problem is knowing whether there is a real higher prevalance or not - cancer, as we are all learning, affects many more people than most of us ever realised and, with the obesity epidemic, it will almost certainly keep getting worse.

     

  • KJones1969
    KJones1969 Member Posts: 158
    #3
    Texas_wedge said:

    Causes of cancers

    Karen, the great weight of evidence so far is that RCC is very much an environmental ailment and that genetic causes account for only a small proportion of cases.  Working around asbestos is certainly very bad news but probably more likely to cause  cancers other than RCC and, in particular, mesothelioma.  It is a known cause of lung cancer but also of colon cancer and prostate cancer!  A handy brief introduction can be found at:

    http://www.asbestos.com/cancer/

    If an unusualy high number of people in your locality are succumbing to cancer it does suggest some extra danger in your locality.  Perhaps you were thinking about construction industry work? 

    A problem is knowing whether there is a real higher prevalance or not - cancer, as we are all learning, affects many more people than most of us ever realised and, with the obesity epidemic, it will almost certainly keep getting worse.

     

    Thanks Tex

    I asked for a copy of our water reports from DHEC and every 4 years there is an update on the number of people with cancer in our area compared to what is expected in our area. It was only a little higher than I thought it would be. I guess because we notice it much more in a small area than in a big city.

    Cancer does affect many more people than any of us realized. I just wish it would leave us alone for awhile. It is very frustrating trying to figure out where it came from when in reality he has it now, so we just need to worry about trying to conquer it. I read your posts and you have done so well with your treatment, I wish I could say the same for my husband. I read your posts on here for information and for inspiration along with some others.

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