This is a bit long, so bear with me. My husband, Mike, died of Gleason 9 prostate cancer -- and an undiagnosed brain tumor -- two weeks ago today. At his memorial gathering at the funeral home Friday evening, several family members of his were there, including some siblings. One of his brothers commented that they are convinced the cancer in his family is due to all the 'shit' they were exposed to growing up on a dairy farm here in Wisconsin.
A little background: Mike, oldest of eight -- four siblings diagnosed with cancer. His Mom died at 86 (heart problems) and Dad at 88 after having cataract surgery the previous day. He also had asthma, so we don't know if that may have been the cause. Neither, however, had cancer.
Family: (I'll use initials for names) 2010: Sister T. dx with kidney cancer. A few months later, brother Z. also dx with kidney cancer; he died in 2014. The previous year, Z's three year-old grandson died of aggressive (AML) leukemia. Sister T's daughter was subsequently treated for thyroid cancer. She is doing well. In early 2014 my husband Mike was dx and a few months later his brother P. with prostate cancer. In the past year, another brother - P's twin - was also dx with the same cancer and had surgery. In the mid 90's, a first cousin of Mike's died (age 28 or 29) of testicular cancer. I recently learned that another cousin of his is 'not doing well' after battling liver cancer -- another family member told me that it is prostate cancer that metastasized. I should mention that the cousins are on his mother's side. I am not asking this because I'm contemplating some sort of legal action -- I wouldn't even know where to start. I am simply curious to know if anyone has experienced a similar situation. What sort of chemicals might cause these cancers if that's the case? These would be the years of 1950-today. On the other hand, there does seem to be a genetic fault on his mother's side, so maybe everyone is barking up the wrong tree entirely. Anyone? Again, this is not a legal question -- just your thoughts and opinions. Genny
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Waubesa94
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Genny, I come from a family with nearly universal cancer throughout two generations and now showing up earlier in a third - nearly all on my father's side of the family. The range of cancer types is very broad. My parents grew up in an agricultural setting and our family lived in a farming area (with domestic well water) while we were young children. While breast cancer has been common over the first two generations, PCa is now common over the later two. Two of my siblings were tested negative for BRCA 1&2 and I had extensive genetic testing for 120 defects common to a range of cancers and had none.
As for cause of the widespread cancers in my family, I haven't a clue, nor do my or any of my relative's doctors. However, since the prostate cancer showed up in two of my sister's sons at a much earlier age than for me, and in view of the fact that neither of them ever livied in a farming community or was otherwise exposed to agricultural chemicals, it is hard to make the case for pesticides and chemical fertilizers playing a major role. We may one day discover a common "as yet unidentified" genetic defect that is the underlying cause. In the meantime, I continue to maintain that when it comes to most cancers, "genes load the gun and diet & lifestyle pull the trigger".
Good Luck on your search for answers. You seem like a family that could truly benefit from genetic counseling. Be Well - cujoe
Thanks for your input, cujoe. I am not a member of the medical field, but have always believed that maybe the genetic fault is there and something 'pushes it over the edge' -- similar to your comment. Then again, his brother who was recently dx with prostate cancer was the (apparently) healthiest of the bunch: non-smoker, normal weight, very light drinker, and doesn't eat the crappy diet so many others do. I've seen people like that so many times. . . it never makes sense.
Cancer is most definitely a indiscriminately baffling disease. I think you would be wise to look for genetic causes first. (When appropriate, some genetic testing is now covered by insurance.) If find genetic defects, you could then try to determine their external causes. That might lead you to some common environmental condition or chemical as a possible causative agent. There is some evidence that exposure to chemicals is implicated in blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma, but I have no specific knowledge for other cancers. Others here might have much more to add. Be Well - cujoe
I remember the first Tonight Show after he died, John Carson announced that he was sorry to report that Gibbons had passed away, but that he had "died of natural causes". It produced enthusiastic laughter from the audience, and I'm sure Euell would have approved. However, rather than cancer, Wiki gives the following cause of death:
Gibbons died on December 29, 1975, aged 64, at Sunbury Community
Hospital in Sunbury, Pennsylvania,[5] of a ruptured aortic aneurysm, a
common complication from Marfan syndrome.
So maybe, eating pine trees kills cancer cells? Now where's my chainsaw when I need it. Be Well, Mr. Lulu - cujoe
Can’t replicate Johnny Carson .either ... Euell was cool .. got me eating grape nuts..problem for me was I piled on the white sugar .. thanks for setting me straight , I heard he died of cancer... I do like the piñon pine nuts in pesto .. mmm Thanks cujoe
Hey Genny, I know that in the state of Indiana every water way is considered toxic due to generations of agriculture. I assume the same in all of the Midwest farmlands .... if the land is toxic and the water is toxic what kind of food are we producing ? Nothing like Wisconsin cheddar though,yum. Environmental toxicity is a fact .... thus the epidemic of cancers of every type .. This is only my uneducated opinion as a son of an environmentalist father. Until humans respect the earth this will not cease ..,it can only worsen . A dark cloud that we leave for the next generations to suffer.. look at round up , millions upon millions used it in suberbia on the very yards that their children played upon. I know that chemical companies are for profit not public health... even most made for home use are now deemed toxic . Dow chemical .. Good to be a CEO . But Not a good neighbor. I think you’re barking up the right tree . If enough barking happens maybe change could come . Problem is that our earth , including all air dirt and water are already at toxic overload. It will be Dam near impossible to real back the environmental damage that man has already done. I’m not a fatalist . Hope is for a miracle , for mankind to wisen up ,however ,human nature might prohibit that from happening. From the 50’s until now the mighty Saguaro cacti inside Saguaro National Park in Tucson Arizona have declined by half . Study done by park showed from 47 to 84 this 50 % drop from auto pollution the major factor.. that’s now 30 years ago . In those 30 yrs Tucson has gained hundreds of thousands of new desert dwellers , and their cars .. so it’s world wide . These are the good ol days . If anybody has a bucket list to see a rhino or a polar bear , best go soon , like the elephant , they won’t be here long. Enjoy nature ..
The Irony of it all ..ain’t none of us kids ... we tote this bale ..my failed attempt at humor ... Sorry about that. I remember that saying in the 80’s .. I can’t say that I did not have fun then ..Now fun is just anyday stress free .. Today was a good one for us . I hope the same for you each day . Take care Monte1111 forgive me for my blunders..and any stated political bs ..
Family history is one of the greatest risk factors in prostate cancer. for whatever reason, its genetic makeup makes it very easy to pass on to future generations. In my case it was great grandfather (died from PC), father, uncle and brother, all with prostate cancer. If you have a brother that had prostate cancer you are very likely to also have it, if your father and brother had it, there is a 75% chance you will too.
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