my mother died from BAC and now I'm worried

joomla82
joomla82 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
My mother was diagnosed and passed away from Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma at the age of 49. She was a tobacco smoker for about 10-15 years and she also worked near a chemical plant where she was exposed to dust particles for 2 years. The doctors from City of Hope said it was not related to smoking. My question is, I’m 23 year old male and I want to know if my chances are greater to get this type of lung cancer? I never lived with my mother and I never smoked tobacco in my life. I plan to obtain medical records from "City of Hope" to locate doctor and be able to speak with him about my risk.

I read a family history of any cancer before the age of 50 years in a first degree relative was also associated with an increased 70% increased incidence of lung cancer.

In the AACR abstract these researchers looked at data from 316 non-smoking patients with lung cancer and found that parents, children, and siblings had a 44% increased incidence of cancers diagnosed before the age of 50 years.

Thanks for your time,

Comments

  • Plymouthean
    Plymouthean Member Posts: 262
    #2
    Hi. I'm a lung cancer survivor. I understand your concern. Yes, you probably do have an increased risk of cancer, - not necessarily the same cancer that your mother had. Risk factors are relative, though, and you shouldn't allow your awareness of increased risk become paranoia. Basically, (and others here will help me out on this) what you should do is avoid exposing yourself to possible cancer causing products and situations, such as using tobacco yourself (which you don't) and avoiding second hand smoke. Of course, there are many other cancer-causing situations and products, and you can drive yourself nuts worrying about them. If you live a clean and healthy lifestyle, you should be OK. Regarding medical records. I assume that you mean that you will try to get your mother's medical records. That may be difficult. The laws governing medical records, and to whom they may be released, are very strict. Besides, they will not, in my opinion, be relevant to you, other than reinforcing what you already know about increased risk. You can find a great deal of information on this website. Begin with the "resource library" link. For your personal well-being, I recommend having a regular primary-care physician, and see him/her regularly. Good luck.

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