Paranoid about family history cancer risk

[WorriedOlive]

Hi everyone,

I suffer from bad health anxiety and whilst I was visiting my parents yesterday we found out my dads cousin has been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. My dads other cousin, brother to the one with cancer died only last year of a brain tumour. Bad news always makes me worry that I may have that disease, a common trait in HA I believe! But I’m worried about the family risk of this and if there may be a genetic thing running in my dads side of the family. These 2 cousins are the only ones to have been diagnosed with cancer, both there parents, parents parents or children have not. The diagnosis was after the age of 50 for both. My dad, uncle and auntie are all in there 60s and thankfully in good health. There are no known health issues with any of my cousins on that side or my siblings (all of which are older than me, I’m 26.)

I caved and googled about genetic conditions and there is one that increases risk for brain and pancreatic cancers called li Fraumeni syndrome that increases your risk for lots of cancers. I think it said you have a 50% chance of developing a cancer by age 30, and a 90% chance by age 60. It says it’s very rare.

I guess what I’m wondering is would something like that have shown up in more places on my dads side? Would it be unlikely to just show up in me? (A fourth generation relative to the cousins who were ill?)

I hope this doesn’t seem crazy and a completely Selfish response to someone else’s illness, but I really struggle with perspective on health things and I just don’t want something else to add fuel to my fire.

Thanks

[NoraB]

Hi everyone,

I suffer from bad health anxiety and whilst I was visiting my parents yesterday we found out my dads cousin has been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer.

Most cases of pancreatic cancer are not genetic. You mention one family member who has it? Genetic PC is very rare, and you would know about it if this was the case with your family.

I hope this doesn’t seem crazy and a completely Selfish response to someone else’s illness, but I really struggle with perspective on health things and I just don’t want something else to add fuel to my fire.

Thanks

It's a health anxiety response to someone else's illness - which is how most of us come to develop the disorder in the first place.

[WorriedOlive]

Most cases of pancreatic cancer are not genetic. You mention one family member who has it? Genetic PC is very rare, and you would know about it if this was the case with your family.



It's a health anxiety response to someone else's illness - which is how most of us come to develop the disorder in the first place.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. That’s really reassuring to hear others perspectives. Sometimes I get so sucked into the panic I loose all logic!

[NoraB]

Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. That’s really reassuring to hear others perspectives. Sometimes I get so sucked into the panic I loose all logic!

The logic is there, it's just hiding behind that big bully HA.