How common is it to have cancer three times?

Hondo said:

3rd & 4th timers
Wow sure seems like a lot of us here who have fought this fight more than once and are still here to tell about it.

Life is still good even after many treatments
Hondo

multiples
dito

dallen1 said:

multiples
Cathy is my wife's name except hers is spelled with a K. My case is also simular.
I am on my 4th different cancer to go along with my 5 brain tumors I am on my 4th ear
cannal and drum as well as alot of bone loss. Unfortunately some of us get more than we truely deserve. I wish you well dear. Hang in there all, and stay positive

Thanks
Thanks for the kind words. I wish you the best too during the "interesting" journey we have. Guess we won the wrong kind of lottery! Staying positive here!

I can not believe it has been
I can not believe it has been nearly two years since i came back to this. Sorry Wendy, didn't mean to not respond. Went to nursing school for the past year, just something I had to finish when I was diagnosed with cancer number three. As far as the radiation, I have had it twice. When I was 15 with lymphoma, I had chemo, radiation, bone marrow biopsy and surgery (splenectomy). I believe this radiation (it was considerably stronger back in 1980) caused breast cancer on both sides about 10 years apart. With those I chose separate routes as far as surgery. The first breast cancer, I had chemo, and a total radical mastectomy in which they took a lat from my back and used that with a prosthetic and of course lymph node disection. The next time, i had chemo, but that first mastectomy was just too tough having only 1 side to sleep on during the recovery. So no reconstruction with that one, just removal of my right breast and nodes. Cervical they did chemo with Cisplatin this time, which has destroyed my muscles. They also did internal radiation and complete hysterectomy in which I had to go in a few weeks later to repeat the surgery becaused they missed a lymph node. About a year and a half ago I began having seizures and was wondering if all the chemo (at least a dozen agents) over 35 years did that. I have no insurance and really wish they would start a fund for people like myself who need it but have worked so can't get medicaid. Haven't been to a doctor in almost two years now, have tons of skin cancer and my abdomen is not feeling "right". I really hope that one day i can start a fund for deserving people who don't have access to health care that REALLY need it. I know my original doc would see me but he lives 800 miles away so it's a bit of a commute. Anyway, sorry again for not answering your question sooner and I hope you are doing well

punky777 said:

3 different kinds of cancer

I have had 3 different kinds of cancer in 4 years.   Colon, Breast and Squamas Cell Skin (biopsy showed Bowen's Disease).

The doctor's say NONE are related to the other.  But,  all were found early and I am doing fine at this point.

3 Cancers diagnosed in 1 month

I can relate to you.  I had my annual mammogram and was having post-menopausal spotting so made an appointment with my ob/gyn.  Within two days of each other I was told I had uterine cancer (grade 1), and breast cancer.  Within the next 3 weeks I had a breast biopsy done and found out it was invasive intraductal carcinoma.  They also found I had thyroid cancer.  So late April to late May 2014 sucked for me.  Lumpectomy on left breast May 30th, total hysterectomy (TVH/BSO) 6 days later on June 5th.  The thyroidectomy was scheduled for June 10th but delayed until I finish chemo and radiation for the breast cancer (stage IIb).  I feel like I have had my legs knocked out from under me.  My family and friends are a terrific support system and I am trying my best to stay optimistic.  However, 3 primary cancer diagnoses (sp?) within one month has me wondering...what's next.

 

Good luck and prayers to all of you with similar histories.

Multiple Cancers

Hi, everyone. I've read many of the posts here and wanted to comment that I went through six bouts with bladder cancer about six years ago and after six TURBTS, thanks to the VA Hospital, I've been clean since then. However, recently I was diagnosed with a mouth cancer of the cheek. The doctor removed the cancer and then removed two sectors of lymph nodes in my neck as a safeguard against a mouth cancer recurrance. Now a couple of months later, I have a swollen lymph node near the groin.....just had an ultrasound and I am scared to death, mostly because of my loved ones. I was wondering if it was possible to have more than one cancer and I've referred to myself as a "cancer garden." I've also had pre-cancerous lesions frozen off my lip and eleven polyps removed from my colon. Sometimes I just break down. It's too much for one person and I want to say that I am so sorry you are all going through this. May health and blessings and long life be given to each one of you. Thanks for being here.

I'm now treating 3rd primary cancer

so sorry to the others that are also facing this terrible problem of having multiple cancers.  I'm starting treatment Monday for 3rd cancer in 10 years, with the doctors telling me it is unrelated to the other two.  Uterine cancer in 2007 receiving chemo and Brachytherapy radiation which I believe was botched and led to my current vaginal cancer.  My second cancer was tongue cancer in 2011, for which I received 35 radiation and 4 chemo.  The current will be 30 radiation and 6 chemo.  When I received my second diagnosis I was so surprised, but now, receiving a third diagnosis, I was in disbelief!. I'd never heard of this and find it interesting to see all of you here with similar situation.  My current oncologist is going to test my prior tumors for a genetic component.  I wish I knew what I could do to keep from getting another, but I'm constantly greatful that I live in this time, when cancer is so treatable.  Harsh as it may be, current treatments allow us to live when earlier generations would not have survived.

Lung cancer

I am 56 yrs. old and have two bouts with NHL and three with lung can ( two surgeries and last radiation). I know cancer is coming for me but can only hope for cures and God's continued blessing. All we can do is hang in there. Technology is making great strides to find a cure, hopefully in time for us

.

 

Cancer is very tricky and not fully understood. Some studies have found that most cancers that are incidental findings (found on imaging when concerned for something beside cancer) are better left untreated and that most people unknowingly experience 6 bouts of cancer thar resolves on its own. Unfortunately, most doctors first reaction is to use the most vigorous treatment as soon as it is found. Cancer treatment causes more cancer. The goal in cancer treatment is to kill the cancer before you kill the patient. There is rarley any investigation for the underlying g cause (which CAN be emotional or psychological in addition to other factors), and if the underlying cause isn't address while attacking the cancer with cancer causing agents, than the cancer will keep coming back. Additionally, there are a lot of natural medicinal approaches that have been proven to aid the patients body in fighting off the cancer and protecting the healthy cells from the damaging cancer treatments. Mistletoe, high dose vitamin C (100,000 MG daily in split doses), earthing g (aka grounding) and many other approached have improve chances kd survival, reduced symptoms of cancer and treatment side effects, and improve quality of life.

I highly recommend the book "cancer is not a disease, it is a healing mechanism". While I don't agree with the title of the book, there is a lot of accurate, verifiable and useful information in the book.

Cancer 5 times here - three times with the original lymphoma, then renal cell carcinoma, then adenocarcinoma. I've been wondering what the probability of 5 times actually is. I'd have thought it was astronomically high. But now, seeing these posts, I assume it is rare .... but not as rare as I assumed.

Lymphoma x 3: First in mediastinum complete remission, relapse to mediastinum, another remission, then relapse to spine. Clean of lymphoma now for 14 years. Then renal cell carcinoma found early. Clear of renal cell for 5 years, clean of adenocarcinoma in left lung for 2 years.