Does anyone have any experience with genetic screenings for potential cancer markers? My source for this question seems a little too eager to market himself-- Dr. Oz, a recurring guest on "Oprah". He gives the impression that they're almost ready for prime time. I'd like to do some more research.
The question applies to our 15-year-old daughter's potential cancer risk. I'm trying to figure out what the genetic lottery could do to her before she's old enough to have to watch out for it. My mother died of breast cancer that started in 1977 (age 40), through two mastectomies and a lymphectomy, and eventually metastasized to her bones. She gave up the struggle in 1986. I don't know if the vocabulary even existed back then to determine if she passed on anything in her genes, let alone anything useful to my kid's health record. Various other cancers have shown up in three of my mother's four siblings, but there could be many causes other than genetic. My father has survived an aggressive form of prostate cancer so now I've been awarded early membership in the screening club. (Thank goodness for military medical care.) I have no idea if the genetics of a male cancer condition affect the inheritance of a female cancer condition.
However if the genetic lottery is relevant then our kid's already a "winner". My daughter is a spooky imitation of my mother. They look identical in photos taken at the same age and our kid shares way too many of my (and my mother's) habits, preferences, & memory tricks. If there's a genetic component to breast cancer then I sure hope it can't be passed down from grandmothers (through fathers) to their daughters.
I know that I can ask these questions of my father and my surviving aunt, but I don't want to wire-brush old scars for no benefit. Perhaps the best bet would be a consult with our kid's pediatrician and a follow-on to an oncologist, but I want to be ready to hold up my end of that discussion. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience in this area? Any other resources I could consult?
The question applies to our 15-year-old daughter's potential cancer risk. I'm trying to figure out what the genetic lottery could do to her before she's old enough to have to watch out for it. My mother died of breast cancer that started in 1977 (age 40), through two mastectomies and a lymphectomy, and eventually metastasized to her bones. She gave up the struggle in 1986. I don't know if the vocabulary even existed back then to determine if she passed on anything in her genes, let alone anything useful to my kid's health record. Various other cancers have shown up in three of my mother's four siblings, but there could be many causes other than genetic. My father has survived an aggressive form of prostate cancer so now I've been awarded early membership in the screening club. (Thank goodness for military medical care.) I have no idea if the genetics of a male cancer condition affect the inheritance of a female cancer condition.
However if the genetic lottery is relevant then our kid's already a "winner". My daughter is a spooky imitation of my mother. They look identical in photos taken at the same age and our kid shares way too many of my (and my mother's) habits, preferences, & memory tricks. If there's a genetic component to breast cancer then I sure hope it can't be passed down from grandmothers (through fathers) to their daughters.
I know that I can ask these questions of my father and my surviving aunt, but I don't want to wire-brush old scars for no benefit. Perhaps the best bet would be a consult with our kid's pediatrician and a follow-on to an oncologist, but I want to be ready to hold up my end of that discussion. Does anyone have any knowledge or experience in this area? Any other resources I could consult?