tonsil cancer

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Daryl
Daryl Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I am a 54 year old woman newly diagnosed with tonsil cancer. My brother, who is 49, was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago with the same cancer. He successfully underwent radiation and has been cancer free. The doctors are baffled. We are not, and have never been, smokers. We will soon be working with a geneticist to explore this bizarre circumstance. Anyone ever hear of siblings with tonsil cancer? All comments and questions welcome.

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  • ruthy2s
    ruthy2s Member Posts: 7
    #2
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    tonsil cancer

    I am 74 . No family members have had this cancer.  I am sure my granddUghters will be monitored.

    How are you doing after all this time?

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 727 Member
    #3
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    Hard to Tell

    That's the problem with cancer.  No one seems to be able to find a solid link to the source.  All we can do is guess.

    My doctor said mine was caused by exposure to radiation.  Working outdoors for almost 35 years is my guess of where it came from.  My brother has freaked out thinking it may be genetic or hereditary. I keep telling him he has no worries and that mine came from the suns radiation but it hasn't satisfied his concern.  Out of 8 children I am the only one that got it.

    IMO, it's a hit or miss thing.  No one will be able to say exactly why you both had it.  As long as you're both okay is the important thing.  Are you?

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 727 Member
    #4
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    duplicate

    duplicate

  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,771 Member
    #5
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    digging deep

    This has got to be one of the oldest posts to be resurrected. 16 years? wow. 

    AFAIK, there is no research that links cancers amongst blood relatives this closely.

  • pascotty
    pascotty Member Posts: 174 Member
    #6
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/139194/tonsil-cancer

    Hi cancer is not hereditary. Tonsil cancer is HPV. I’m adopted and me and all my siblings have had some sort of cancer. Me tonsil cancer 12 years ago 2010 and last year 2022. Ovarian cancer

  • goffrey
    goffrey Member Posts: 41 Member
    #7
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1710514#Comment_1710514

    Not all tonsil cancer is caused by the HPV virus and some cancers such as breast cancer when there is the BRCA gene involved does run in families and can be hereditary. There is also Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Lynch syndrome which are hereditary and can cause cancer.

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