What are my chances of having cancer if both my parents have it?
Sorry to hear your parents have both been diagnosed with cancer. Most cancers are random and not inherited; nobody knows what causes them. Fewer than 10% of cancer cases are due to hereditary factors. You can inherit a tendency to get SOME particular cancers (not all), but you won't definitely get that cancer. Some cancers are not hereditary at all. The chances are that you are not at increased risk of either cancer. Only 5 – 10 % of breast cancer cases are caused by hereditary factors. If a parent (either one) carries one of the faulty BRCA genes responsible for genetic breast cancer, their child has a 50% chance of inheriting it, and an 80% chance of developing breast cancer. But most breast cancer is random, not hereditary. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my oncologist was able to reassure me that it was not hereditary and that other members of my largely female family were not at increased risk. Fewer than 5% of cases of colo-rectal cancer are due to a high-risk inherited gene defect. Generally you are regarded as at increased risk if you have an immediate relative - parent, sibling, child - who developed it before they were 45 years old, or two immediate relatives who have had it at any age. An important consideration in your case is that the younger you are when a cancer occurs, the more likely it is that an inherited genetic tendency has played a part. Cancers that develop after the age of 50 are much less likely to be hereditary. Both my parents had cancer too, and my mother died of it. Of their six children, now aged between 46 and 60, only I have developed cancer, and mine was non-hereditary and unrelated to theirs. My best wishes to your parents and to you
What is it like to lose a parent to cancer?
It really sucks. My mother was told she had liver and kidney cancer from the hospital scans in her last trip to the hospital. They were doing MRIs to see for sure and in more detail when she started being short of breath. She coded that evening. I'm not entirely sure if that counts as dying of cancer. The cancer part was very quick, but I've been her caretaker for about twenty years. She had a multitude of medical problems, cancer was the icing on the cake.It also is a relief. She's no longer in pain, after all this time. No more making sure her prescriptions are up-to-date and picked up. No more making sure she actually gets to her doctor appointments, which included stretcher transport by ambulance. No more spending most of my money each month on her food. No more cleaning up her messes. No more occasionally having to force feed her because she'd gone nuts from low blood sugar. No more being forced to listen to her apologize for being a burden when the apology is more burden than the work, but she won't shut up about it, no matter how much I tell her it's okay.I believe she's in Heaven with innumerable passed animals, her parents, and her brother. If the atheists are right and there is no God, she's still better off than she was.I also feel some guilt for the relief on my part. Also some regret that I still have her urn in my car because it's been pouring for weeks and burial is waiting for drier ground.
How do I bring up that I might have testicular cancer to my parents?
I know having any sort of lump or problem down there can be both scary and embarrassing. If you haven’t already you need to immediately tell your parents. There are many things it can be but this really needs to be proven that it’s not testicular cancer.The reason you need to move quickly is due to how fast some cancers can grow and spread. Testicular cancer is one of the most treatable cancers and carries a very good prognoses as far as treatment and cures when found early. Even advanced stages are good prognosis typically.The faster you can get to your doctor and get your ultrasound the better. They’ll know immediately following your ultrasound what it most likely is. Do you have any aching or pain?Telling your parents is the most important thing you can do in your life right now.Here’s how you can initiate this conversation with your parents. It may be more comfortable talking about it with your dad but either one will do.Tell them you were taking a shower and washing down there when you noticed something wasn’t right and you found a lump that needs to be examined by your family doctor.As soon as you tell them this they will guide you from there. It’s really simple as that. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed, you’ve got this! I’ll be praying for you and really hope it’s just something benign like a cyst or something.Also, please let me know if I can answer any other questions. I was diagnosed with testicular cancer about a month ago now and they removed my testicle. Please keep us posted and move fast!
Both of my parents have cancer, need help?
Thats tough. To have both parents have cancer is a lot to go through especially being so young. Like school isnt hard enough right ? Talk to people on your campus and believe it or not they will be your support. I am sure whoever you tell will be really helpful and supportive at this time. Thats something you really need is a good support system. Talk to your parents and let them know how much you love them. I will keep you in my prayers. Also try praying. It does help. God is so amazing and cares about you and your parents. I know your probably feeling why me but everything happens for a reason and god can be your crutch when your feeling broken. Keep your head up and stay strong
How do I tell my parents that I am terminally ill with cancer?
Aye fuck. This really just broke my heart in a thousand little pieces. To answer you on your question, right now the best thing to do is telling your parents the truth (yes, it's shitty advise, I totally agree.)The second thing to keep in mind is that If you're able to be with them, please fly down and tell them about your health condition in person. I can't imagine how hard it will be for both your parents as yourself but this is just something that needs to be over and done with. Keeping the truth from your parents will only destroy them even more when they find out one day eventually. If there's really no option for you to fly out, the thing that would come as close to being face to face with your parents is to either Skype or FaceTime them. Try to prepare what you wanna say and how you wanna put it. Also be careful with getting emotional, I know how hard it is but keep yourself aware of the fact that you're telling a mother and a father that their kid is severely ill.. I wish you the best and want you to not lose hope, as hard as it is, but have faith. We may not know each other but I promise you you're in my prayers.
What was it like to have one of your parents incarcerated when you were a child?
It’s having your life destroyed for something you didn’t even do.I was 11 and my childhood ended that day.My mother fell apart. I was scared someone would kill my dad in prison.I was bullied very badly in school. You can talk about having a parent with cancer or dead, and get sympathy. With a parent in prison, all I had was mockery. The other kids would put articles about my dad on my desk and say awful things. No matter what, they always had a verbal kick they could give me.I learned to never talk about it. I learned to be cold, because if I thought how much my father was suffering, I would fall apart.Most kids with parents in prison end up there themselves. I didn’t. I ended up fine, career-wise.However, mentally, I’m a mess. I’m terrified someone will find out. Even now, most of my friends don’t know.
How do you focus on school when your parent has cancer?
“How do you focus on school when your parent has cancer?”I'm sorry your parent is going through this. It's a terrible thing for people to endure, and it affects everyone in the family. I hope he or she has successful treatment results.I understand how difficult this must be, that you are afraid for your parent. I wish I had a magic answer for you. Unfortunately, there isn't one.If you have a school guidance counselor, if this person is not already aware of what is going on in your life, please let him or her know, and do it tomorrow. It is very likely you are not the first student the guidance counselor has known with this problem, and he or she will understand what you are experiencing. It is also very likely he or she has received training in how best to help students whose parents are very ill.If you are not already in one, it may help you to join a group of young people your age who also have parents with cancer, and who meet regularly to talk about what they are going through. These young people will have more insight for you as to how to deal with school, and it will probably help you a great deal to have others who understand listen to your fears.If your parent is receiving chemotherapy, or some other type of treatment, the center where he or she is going will most likely know of a group, as might your guidance counselor, and even your spiritual leader, if you have one. There are probably online groups you can join, too, if you're not comfortable meeting in groups or one-on-one.Just to have someone who will listen to your worries may be all you need.
How to deal with someone close to you having cancer?
Please don't come here to be mean, cruel or hurtful. Anyone that has been through this will be a huge help. I'm 21. I have 2 older sisters (29, and 28). When I was 11, my parents divorced which I found very hard. I moved in with my Mum and 28 year old sister (obviously she was only 18 at the time). My other sister was living with her boyfriend at this stage. I found it difficult to understand the break-up of my parents and that they wouldn't get back together and turned to drugs. I was a run-amuk. My dad saved me, put me back in school and got me to where I am now (21, engaged, working full-time, have a decent car, am healthy and havent touched drugs for 6 years). I live with my Dad, just me and him and have for the past 6 years. We have become very close, and everything I do, I ask for his advice before doing it as he is a smart man. He has a heart condition. He has had it since I was 13... Then last year, was diagnosed with inoperable Lung Cancer. That killed me to hear that, dealing with the heart condition was bad enough. Then the time frame he was given was 6-8 months. I couldn't deal with it, I just couldn't accept that this was happening to us and our family. (Only 1 month before his diagnosis, our next door neighbour who was also a very good friend of ours passed away from throat cancer). Then my Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour from the cancer, which as I'm sure you could imagine was gut wrenching. He had it operated on, and removed. Then he had radio therapy to kill any remaining cells. He has had chemo therapy for the lungs too, which made him lose all his hair and a lot of weight. This has been and will probably be the hardest thing I have ever had to go through in my life. It doesn't stop here though. The day before yesterday, he was having seizures and we rang the ambulance (I was at work), he was admitted to hospital. They did another brain scan yesterday and found 3 more tumours that can't be operated on. I am a mess, I don't know what to do and I can not go on if he has to leave this world... Please tell me how you deal/dealt with it. Please don't make the point of death too obvious, I know it will happen eventually but I just can't deal with it, that's the thing. I'd rather die than have to live with out him it's already so so painful. Thank you all so much in advance.
I'm having bad anxiety attacks, Esophageal cancer?
Im 16 and i've been suffering from horrific health anxiety for almost a year. I scared myself into thinking i have almost every cancer. Its ruining my life and i've been posting questions like this on yahoo answers because i have nobody else to talk to. My parents wont take me to a doctor anymore. They wont listen to me either. I woke up yesterday with bad back pain, i get it when i sometimes burp, laugh, cry, yell, eat, or drink, i feel my food go down my back slowly for about a month, no weight loss, i was constantly forcing air into my esophagus and burping it out, the next morning BAM, back pain..... Im so so so so so scared this could be esophageal cancer, i think my food got stuck once too but i cant tell anymore! I eat my food very very fast now, i dont even chew my food enough because im so nervous about my pain in my back when i swallow.... I cant calm down. I tried calling my doctor last night but it just kept ringing! I've thought i had epiglottitis and a heart attack before too! I want to take medicine but my parents wont let me! My counsler is not helping! I cant relax anymore! Im constantly nervous, worried, or having a panic attack. I don't want to die this young.... My dad even said i give him so much stress that im going to be the reason he dies... I dont mean to do that! I dont know what to do!!!! I dont like life anymore! I dont want my dad to die! Hes 64 years old, i dont know how much stress he can take! I dont want him to be anymore stressed BUT I DONT KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF THIS FU@King ANXIETY AND PHOBIA OF CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!! Breathing doesnt help at all. I try so hard to do the advice that people on this site give me. Like what a person named ChemoAngel said, Enjoy life and dont let my anxiety ruin my life. But i dont know how to enjoy life anymore!
Im 15 and find the thought of my parents having sex really weird and disturbing..normal?
my mom is getting a double misectamine for breast cancer and my dad is all bummed about her not having any breasts and he talks about it non stop. now shes getting implants or expanders or whatever and hes a little happier but still upset cause she wont have real ones. thats just some background. my parenst went allll deep end on me telling me how "dad still has to touch me. i want to attractive to him." and they pretty much went on to tell me about how they have sex. i guess i kinda knew that but the thought is REALLY disturbing and I dont even know why. can anyone tell me why? or if this is even normal.. at all?