cancer

[jellybean88]

Just wondering just find out cancer runs in my family quite alot... not any particular type but brain, skin, breast, cervical and lung cancer, is there any way I can be genetically tested? What are some ways of lowering my risk?

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[PumpkinZulu]

I can't remember, are you breastfeeding at all? That lowers the risk of breast cancer.

As far as I'm aware there is not a lot you can do rollers your risk otter than living a healthy life. Cut down on chemicals etc. My family are predisposed to cervical cancers, my mum is having a growth removed on Friday So I get where you're coming from on wanting to avoid the same

[HotI]

Genetic testing is usually only available if someone in your family has a known genetic mutation (gene change) that is known to cause an increased cancer risk.

Different types of cancers can be associated with one genetic mutation e.g. mutations in BRCA1 can cause breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, pancreatic cancer and/or colon cancer in women.

If you know your family history (types of cancers and the relation to you) your GP can do an assessment of risk to let you know if you do have an increased risk, or whether the cancers are most likely not linked and therefore your risk would just be the same as population risk. If you have an increased risk, you can get a referral to a genetic counsellor.

Ways of lowering your risk are things we should all do anyway, no smoking, eat well, lots of fibre etc, exercise, wear sunscreen.....

[teresa]

i agree with Hot1. have a chat with your gp and see if they will do the genetic testing for you. my mum was diagnosed with breast ca a few weeks after DS was born which means that when i hit 41 years old, i have to have yearly mammograms. she is the only one in our family diagnosed but its made us all more breast aware!

big

[AnyDream]

There are specific criteria for having genetic testing done, and they may want to test the person in the family who has the cancer (if they're still around) instead of you. However, bowel and breast are two that are currently known re a specific gene mutation, which is what they will test for but only if there are particular patterns of incidence in a family.

I had breast cancer AND lymphoma at the same time, and 3 family members on my father's side all had various cancers but that wasn't sufficient to warrant genetic testing. Things like - multiple instances of particular type of bowel cancer, or breast cancer in CLOSE relatives, breast cancer in a male relative, or breast cancer which caused a close female relative to die at a young age are the sorts of things that will indicate that you or someone in your family may be candidates for testing. Anyway, talk to your GP as your first call to find out more.

Otherwise, there are so many other environmental and lifestyle factors involved. Best protective behaviours: exercise, never ever smoke, keep your weight down, have pap smears frequently, minimise your alcohol consumption, wear sunscreen & don't use solariums, do whatever you can about air quality in your workplace, and eat a diet low in saturated fats and high in vegetables and fruit.

[Phteven]

I think that you need to talk to your GP and depending on the risk they will do screening for the specific cancers regularly. So they might decide to do pap smears more often than every 2 years if you have a family history and regular breast ultrasounds etc.