more than one diagnosis

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Heider
Heider Member Posts: 24 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I am a stage 4 colon cancer survivor and have also had to malignant melanomas removed. My onc says the two cancers are unrelated. Has anyone else been diagnosed with more than one type of cancer? Is this common?

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  • suzannchili
    suzannchili Member Posts: 134 Member
    #2
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    I was diagnosed with uterine cancer last week and will have a radical hysterectomy next week. I am a 7 year stage 3 colon cancer survivor. I had genetic testing done last winter and was told I had an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer as the two are related, but to finish having my family. I don't think it was expected to occur so quickly. Well, now I'm a 2 timer, although I don't know how common this is.
  • apache4
    apache4 Member Posts: 272 Member
    #3
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    suzannchili said:

    I was diagnosed with uterine cancer last week and will have a radical hysterectomy next week. I am a 7 year stage 3 colon cancer survivor. I had genetic testing done last winter and was told I had an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer as the two are related, but to finish having my family. I don't think it was expected to occur so quickly. Well, now I'm a 2 timer, although I don't know how common this is.

    I am a two-timer also, but had just the opposite of you. I had the uterine cancer 8 yrs. ago and a year ago was diagnosed with Stage IV colon. No one ever told me that they were related which is a bummer and since I sailed through the hysterectomy and radiation I put the entire cancer experience out of my mind. Will they be able to do your hysterectomy as a laproscopic surgery? That's what I had and it was great. It was a trial eight years ago.
  • davidsonxx
    davidsonxx Member Posts: 134
    #4
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    My mom had 2 different cancers, melanoma and pacreatic cancer. I don't know that having 2 cancers is common but I'm not sure it is all that rare either.
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #5
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    suzannchili said:

    I was diagnosed with uterine cancer last week and will have a radical hysterectomy next week. I am a 7 year stage 3 colon cancer survivor. I had genetic testing done last winter and was told I had an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer as the two are related, but to finish having my family. I don't think it was expected to occur so quickly. Well, now I'm a 2 timer, although I don't know how common this is.

    UGH!

    My mom had uterine cancer first then colon cancer - it's that damn HNPCC gene. Not only does it significantly (80% is right in line with what I have read and with what Katies onc told her, too) increase your propensity for getting uterine cancer (I don't know if it's considered a primary cancer, but I don't think it is), but HNPCC also places you at higher risk for breast, bladder, renal, stomach, and pancreatic cancer (yippee, huh?).

    I'm going to go schedule my mammogram right now.

    (don't laugh - 3% of breast cancer patients are MEN!)

    - SpongeBob
  • Kanort
    Kanort Member Posts: 1,272 Member
    #6
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    I am so sorry that so many of you are having two battle twice as hard. Prayers and well wishes to you all!

    Love,

    Kay
  • alta29
    alta29 Member Posts: 435 Member
    #7
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    I am also a stage IV Colon Cancer survivor and I was also DX with breast cancer stage 1 2 years ago...Stay strong..Believe
    God bless
  • suzannchili
    suzannchili Member Posts: 134 Member
    #8
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    apache4 said:

    I am a two-timer also, but had just the opposite of you. I had the uterine cancer 8 yrs. ago and a year ago was diagnosed with Stage IV colon. No one ever told me that they were related which is a bummer and since I sailed through the hysterectomy and radiation I put the entire cancer experience out of my mind. Will they be able to do your hysterectomy as a laproscopic surgery? That's what I had and it was great. It was a trial eight years ago.

    Actually, no. The oncologist/gnynecologist wants to look around and be sure he gets everything. But he has told me there is every indication it is stage 1.
  • suzannchili
    suzannchili Member Posts: 134 Member
    #9
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    spongebob said:

    UGH!

    My mom had uterine cancer first then colon cancer - it's that damn HNPCC gene. Not only does it significantly (80% is right in line with what I have read and with what Katies onc told her, too) increase your propensity for getting uterine cancer (I don't know if it's considered a primary cancer, but I don't think it is), but HNPCC also places you at higher risk for breast, bladder, renal, stomach, and pancreatic cancer (yippee, huh?).

    I'm going to go schedule my mammogram right now.

    (don't laugh - 3% of breast cancer patients are MEN!)

    - SpongeBob

    Well then, got any good news? I have decided that I will not get breast, renal, stomache, pancreatic, nor bladder cancer. Two is plenty for me.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #10
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    alta29 said:

    I am also a stage IV Colon Cancer survivor and I was also DX with breast cancer stage 1 2 years ago...Stay strong..Believe
    God bless

    Stage III rectal cancer. Stage II breast cancer 6 months later. Different types of cancer...so, both primary site.

    There is this gene that is being studied...the B23, I think, that retards the signals to your immune system that there is cancer afoot (or a colon, or a breast...lol). Interesting, I am studying...

    Hugs, Kathi

    Oh, 3 years later, NED on both...naked happy dancing always!
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    #11
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    I don't believe, so far, there is any evidence of a correlation between skin cancers, such as melanoma, and other cancers. There is some correlation between some of the other cancers such as colon, ovarian, and breast. I wonder, though, if one gets any type of cancer if that couldn't be a sign that the immune system is to some degree defective and another type of cancer is possible.

    ****

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