Thursday, May 8, 2008

My grandma has colon cancer, does that mean i will have it

My grandma has colon cancer, does that mean i will have it?
my grandmother and i have a lot of the same traits..and she found out that she has colon cancer. will i get it? my grandma is 70 years old, i forgot to add that in, sorry
Cancer - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Colon cancer is hereditary and if you have a close relative your risk is higher. Make sure to tell your doctor so that you can get screened properly. This does not mean that you will definitely get it however your risk is increased.
2 :
not necessarily. if you had colon cancer just because your grandma had it then that would mean your whole family (your mom siblings aunts cousins uncles) would also have it. Your risk is higher though so you should certainly keep an eye on it.
3 :
You do have a higher risk and you should tell your Doctor.Depending upon your age you should get a colonoscopy.If any polyps (they can become cancerous) are detected they will be removed.This type of cancer if caught early is easily treatable.
4 :
Colon Cancer IS NOT hereditory - I have it and two cousins on my father's side of the family have also had it - we have been genetically tested and there is no evidence of anything hereditory. Just get to know the symptoms - like a change in bowel habit over a period of time - there are risks with colonoscopies but you can have a virtual colonoscopy by scanning if there is anything that needs checking out. The information given about polyps is correct - I didn't know I had them and was treated for Irritable Bowel Symptom - now I've had surgery and 4 x 6 month courses of chemotherapy! You can learn all about symptoms on Cancer Research UK website - it's excellent.
5 :
Inherited forms of colon cancer are rare; only about 5% of cases of colon cancer are due to hereditary factors; the rest are random. Even when someone has inherited a tendency to a particular cancer it does not mean they will get it. Being at increased risk of a particular cancer usually means having a close relative - parent, sibling- child who developed that cancer before the age of 50. You don't say how old your grandma is. The younger a person is when they develop cancer, the greater the possibility that a hereditary factor is involved; cancers that develop after the age of 50 are much less likely to be hereditary. This article gives a lot of information about the risk of genetic colon cancer, and about screening http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/HQ00448
6 :
It doesn't necessarily mean you will get it, but your chances are increased. Eat healthy, don't smoke and get adequate sleep. Though this doesn't assure that you will not get cancer, it increases the odds that you will not.
7 :
My wife had cancer, and during her treatment, she told her surgeon that my father had colon cancer. Her surgeon busted my tail to get a colonoscope. he explained, since my father had it, my risk of getting it were larger than if there were no history of colon cancer in the family. I agreed, and he took out 7 pre cancerous polyps. There is no guarantee you WILL get colon cancer, but, why take a chance? This is definately something to discuss with your physician.

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