Genetic Testing for Cancers

[DangerMouse]

Wondering if anyone has undergone genetic testing for any cancers or if anyone has an experience with this subject.

Reason I ask is my mother has just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, my father died of pancreatic cancer and one of my mother's sister's died of pancreatic cancer so it has been suggested there might be some genetic link.

I would assume an associated danger of the testing is that they find something which would prevent me ever being able to get private medical insurance in the USA. However, to me that would not be the end of the world, as I would just return to Australia where I can have coverage. I'm kind of thinking it would be better to know because it is such a nasty one to get with such low survival rates I would rather be on the lookout for it if I knew it was likely coming.

I have been reading some interesting info on the DNA link to pancreatic cancer and how individual behaviours can damage the DNA increasing the chances and I can see how each of my family members have indulged in multiple no-no's - ie smoking, diabetes, obesity, bad diet

 

[haha]

I have been reading some interesting info on the DNA link to pancreatic cancer and how individual behaviours can damage the DNA increasing the chances and I can see how each of my family members have indulged in multiple no-no's - ie smoking, diabetes, obesity, bad diet

Who knew that diabetes was an indulgence!

A recent report on genetics and cancer makes this entire area seem a lot murkier, if this paper is correct. New Analysis Concludes Cause of Diabetes Not Genetic

Ha

 

[DangerMouse]

Diabetes is not an indulgence but can be brought on by one's own behaviour. That is if you know you are pre-diabetic shouldn't one be responsible and do what the Dr has suggested, ie watch your diet, lose weight and exercise. If you don't follow medical advice on such a serious condition can you be surprised at the outcome?

 

[haha]

Diabetes is not an indulgence but can be brought on by one's own behaviour. That is if you know you are pre-diabetic shouldn't one be responsible and do what the Dr has suggested, ie watch your diet, lose weight and exercise. If you don't follow medical advice on such a serious condition can you be surprised at the outcome?

Well I tend to agree with you, but there are plenty of overweight couch potatoes who do not get diabetes. Perhaps all the behaviors you mention could be seen as indulgent, but there are plenty people who are following all the things one "is supposed to do", including calorie counting exercisers, who develop diabetes.

It can get tricky.

Ha

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Wondering if anyone has undergone genetic testing for any cancers or if anyone has an experience with this subject.

I would assume an associated danger of the testing is that they find something which would prevent me ever being able to get private medical insurance in the USA. However, to me that would not be the end of the world, as I would just return to Australia where I can have coverage. I'm kind of thinking it would be better to know because it is such a nasty one to get with such low survival rates I would rather be on the lookout for it if I knew it was likely coming.

I have been reading some interesting info on the DNA link to pancreatic cancer and how individual behaviours can damage the DNA increasing the chances and I can see how each of my family members have indulged in multiple no-no's - ie smoking, diabetes, obesity, bad diet

The challenge of genetic testing is knowing what to do with the results. No such test is highly accurate, even the BRCA test for breast cancer. If abnormal a higher risk is presumed but not always that much higher in absolute numbers. Often there is no evidence that intense surveillance actually saves lives. It may only increase the odds of false-alarm findinigs and unnecessary testing. All that being said, look for many advances in this area in the future.

To be useful, a genetic test must meet certain criteria:

1. It must detect a high proportion of patients truly at risk.
2. It must be negative in the vast majority of patients not truly at risk
3. It must lead to decisions which improve outcomes in patients who follow the plan
4. That plan for those testing positive must have low risk for complications
5. It must be affordable by large numbers of patients.

Very few meet this standard. Pancreatic cancer definitely has a hereditary, familial subset (up to 10% of patients), but we don't quite know what to do about it in other members of the family. Periodic endoscopic ultrasound screening is a plausible approach but is not of proven benefit, has definite risks, and generates a considerable number of false positives.

Let's hope for breakthroughs - we need it for this one.

 

[haha]

Dangermouse, I was so eager to speak to the indulgence issue that I did not register that your father and aunt died from cancer, and now your mother has this cancer.

I am so sorry, and I apologize for my insensitivity in just blundering past this very painful situation in your life. My best wishes and prayers will be with you.

Ha

 

[freebird5825]

No genetic testing.
No experience to share.

All I can do is send a HUG .

My Mom succumbed to breast cancer, so in the back of my mind, I realize I may have a higher risk of going through the same thing somewhere down the road.
I do not dwell on it, but you can be damn sure I get a mammogram EVERY year.

 

[Dawg52]

My mother had breast cancer, fortunately cured and going strong at 93. My brother died from a sarcoma cancer. Pretty obvious that I'm a higher risk for cancer at some point. But I try to get plenty of exercise and keep my weight under control.

So no plans for any DNA test. Plus I'm a chicken $hat.

PS.......DM, Sorry about your family's history with cancer.

 

[RonBoyd]

Wondering if anyone has undergone genetic testing for any cancers or if anyone has an experience with this subject.

I had blood drawn last Friday for just such a test (not pancreatic, however). I will speak more thoroughly to it after I am given the results.

 

[Khan]

No genetic testing.
No experience to share.

All I can do is send a HUG .

My Mom succumbed to breast cancer, so in the back of my mind, I realize I may have a higher risk of going through the same thing somewhere down the road.
I do not dwell on it, but you can be damn sure I get a mammogram EVERY year.

Going by my family history: No cancer, no heart problems; massive but not lethal stroke at 80 or so. Don't want to be around for it.

 

[Moemg]

My daughters SIL just had genetic testing . She discoved a lump in her breast which is cancerous and because of her family history they recommended it . The test cost $3000 and was not covered by her health insurance and sad to say the result was positive so she will be underging bil. mastectomy at 35 .

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

My mother had breast cancer, fortunately cured and going strong at 93. My brother died from a sarcoma cancer. Pretty obvious that I'm a higher risk for cancer at some point. But I try to get plenty of exercise and keep my weight under control.

I'm not aware of any evidence that either of the above isolated cancers place you at increased risk.

 

[Fireup2020]

My family history sucks - maternal grandmother had diabetes & many problems associated with it. Biological father (and his father!) each died at 34 from heart attacks. Biological mother died (age 45) from complications of pancreatic cancer. My doctors have run me through the gamut of lab tests (CA125 and associated tests, echo cardiograms, annual EKG, and the list goes on - usually 5 tubes are drawn whenever I have to go to the lab) I hope to outlive them! Good news is my paternal grandmother & aunts are all healthy - good thing I am a girl!

 

[kaudrey]

DangerMouse - my thoughts are with and your mother at this difficult time.

My mother has had breast cancer twice. Once at 48 and again at 63. She is now cancer free at 73. My sister had the BRCA test a few months ago, but my mother has not had it done. The test came back negative, but apparently, that is not informative:

"In cases in which a family has a history of breast and/or ovarian cancer and no known mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 has been previously identified, a negative test result is not informative. It is not possible to tell whether an individual has a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation that was not detected by testing (a “false negative”) or whether the result is a true negative."

I have opted not to have the test done, but at 41, I am faithful about my annual mammograms.

 

[ratface]

The odds are not good despite genetics

I've heard this statistic get thrown around on the great cancer telathon--- one out of two men and one out of three woman. Throw in genetics and you might as well flip a coin. The generation that lives without it will be the wealthiest of all time. Both my parents died of cancer, lymphoma and brain cancer at 58 and 63. I was stricken at 51 with head and neck cancer.

I agree that it's better to know as all of us here are obvious long term planners and as such you can use the information accordingly but don't dwell on it. It's at the forefront now because of Mom's condition but don't let it stay there. It is just not healthy, be prudent, but live for the moment.

 

[DangerMouse]

It is bizarre how cancer has hit my family in my generation and my parents generation as well.

So far this year we had a friend die of kidney cancer at 45, my auntie (mother's sister) died of gall bladder cancer (mid 70s), another of my mother's sister died of brain tumour (early 70s) and a cousin died of stomach cancer at 51. Another cousin's wife was diagnosed with brain cancer in July and it looks as if she will be dead by Christmas and she is only 39.

Other of my parent's siblings have died of liver cancer, prostate cancer and other unknown cancers. I have lost two cousins to bowel cancer and spinal cancer. It just does not seem to be stopping.

I guess because there are a lot of them it may inflate the numbers, 9 siblings on Mum side, 11 on Dads and 38 first cousins I have or had I should say.

 

[Dawg52]

I'm not aware of any evidence that either of the above isolated cancers place you at increased risk.

Good. Back to pigging out.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Good. Back to pigging out.

Well, there's always coronary artery disease...

Keep the pig ingestion down to twice a day.

 

[ratface]

OMG Dangermouse

You seem to have an over abundance on both sides but it does play into the statistics. I don't even want to think of Coronary artery disease as my 52 y/o marathon/triathalon cousin just had triple bypass and Pork is our traditional Holiday food, I'm talking nice toasty pork skin here. I've come to the conclusion that these pitfalls await many of us but as I said earlier it's better not to dwell on them. Is it possible that our generation has more of these problems because of current lifestyles in Jobs, the food industry, our leisure time activities, as I recall my grandmother and great grandmother living to almost 100. Where did we go wrong?