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Does cancer run in families?

I've just been reading a newspaper article which reports on research which suggests that having a family member with cancer may increase the likelihood of a close relation developing it. It may not be exactly the same kind of cancer, but a related kind - for example someone with breast cancer may have a close relation who develops uterine cancer.
This particularly interests me because my father died, nearly 50 years ago, of multiple myeloma. Does anyone else have a similar story to tell?
Olivia

Hi Olivia,

my mum was recently (2 years ago) diagnosed with CLL. It was a bit of a shock for my family as they had only just about got used to me having CML! CLL has a higher incidence rate than CML and tends to be a fairly indolent cancer for most. Although it is called a Leukaemia (Chronic Lymphoid Leukaemia) it affects the B cells and is really more like a lymphoma. She is mostly asymptomatic with a stable white count of around 29, and does not require treatment as yet. But if she ever does there are several new drugs coming through that are very similar to the TKis for CML, and it seems like the phase 2 trials are showing excellent results.

I know of one other CML patient whose mother was diagnosed with CLL.

Sandy

Hi Sandy

That's really interesting! Perhaps I should warn my family about the possibility. It makes me wonder whether we have a genetic glitch that makes us a little more susceptible, and then something else happens to set off the leukaemia or whatever hits us.
Olivia

Hi

In 2 weeks it will have been 9 years since dx and considering my local hospital said I had 3-5 5 years . What they forgot to say is that I had 3-5 years without medication. Obviously once I got to Hammersmith that all changed and have a PCR of 0.011. Am going to the Hammersmith on Tuesday afternoon so if any one is ther I would like to meet you.
Coincidently my Father was dx with CLL some years before my dx but when I asked about the coincidence I was told that's all it is. A coincidence.
The CLL turned into waldenstroms but my father had no treatment and need no treatment..

I was also caught up in Scandinavia during the time of Chernobyl. And again I was told its a coincidence.

I'm not so sure and still wonder.

Steven

My mother has had CMML for 8 years, diagnosed 4 years before my CML. I was told this is coincidence, and hers is dysplastic not proliferative like CML. To my knowledge no one else in my family has ever had any similar blood disease. But who really knows? There could be an as yet undiscovered connection.

Richard