Who knew? Many cancers are just "bad luck".

[Deleted]

I don't fully agree with that. There is a definite disposition to getting cancer and that disposition runs in families. The luck comes in when not all of the children of a cancer patient will contract the disease. So other factors are in play such as a healthier lifestyle, better eating and exercise habits. One thing you can be sure of, if you present at a doctor's surgery with a particular ailment, they will ALL ask you about your family medical history!!

[Occam's Spork]

My wife's father comes from a large family with 2 sisters and 6 brothers.
EVERY one of the boys were diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The girls all had hysterectomies before they turned 40. (So estrogen-dependent cancers (such as breast or cervical) would never have developed after that time).

My wife had the genetic testing, but they couldn't find any of the known genetic links.
(That is not to say it isn't genetic, it may be that they haven't mapped out that specific gene yet.)

Incidentally, my wife is being treated alongside BEST DOCTORS. (An organization that employs the most recognized physicians in the field)
They aren't completely certain that she has cancer yet, they've asked to run some more tests.

I hope to discover that it isn't; but I'm not going to cling to false hope.

[slartibartfast]

No cancer at all in our family so I'm bound to get it!

[Occam's Spork]

I ought to buy a lottery ticket.
I imagine our bad luck is used up for a while.

...Anyone want in?

[Deleted]

I know so many women who have either died from or survived breast cancer. It is in epidemic proportions. A friend of mine tragically died a couple of years ago. Her twin sister died from it a few years before her and their mother died from it when they were in their late 20s. Another friend has survived breast cancer but her mother is dying now of the disease. Breast cancer runs in families - there is no doubt about it.

On the other hand, breast cancer is not in our family. My grandmothers both lived to their mid/late 90s and had good health. My mother is in perfect health and has now hit her 90s. There has never been any instances of breast cancer in our family and my mother came from a big family of 10 children. You will never convince me that some families are not predisposed to contracting cancer.

[jody]