Hi guys...
Data from largest population study to date help identify at-risk individuals, could inform screening initiatives
Just Posted this article on MPN-MATE concerning whether or not MPNs and other Blood Cancers are genetic and or inheritable?
Thought that some of you might find it of interest...
mpn-mate.com/forum/viewtopi...
Best wishes all ;-0)
Steve
(Sydney)
Hey Carolyn... 
No problem & thanks for your reply... Hope all's well in your world...
Steve
Thanks Steve.
Just quickly browsed this, as I’m on my way to work soon. I must say, I’m not surprised by these findings.
Thanks for keeping us informed
Mary
Hey Mary...
Yes, interesting is it not?
My father, who passed a few years ago had Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma w/ three (3) remissions, and still managed to survive until three days before his 87th...
So it now appears, (according to these findings – in any event), that there could be roughly a 25% chance that one might inherit the genes for any variety of Blood Cancer conditions, irrespective of whether they are Lymphoid or Myeloid dispositions... again, according to those findings...
Thanks Mary
Best wishes
Steve
First cousin had Non Hodgkins too. He’s been in remission for over ten years. Hope it stays that way, as he was only in his twenties when diagnosed.
Have a good weekend Steve!
Mary xx
Hi Steve
thank you for posting this article, very interesting. Hope all ok with you, all good here. Maz x
Hey there Maz...
Yes, all fine although we are still in our very windy winter, and the cold and I are not on our first names basis... 
Yes, I found both of those Posts really quite interesting, and perhaps connected too... (?)
The Scandinavian study was a very large cohort. Hence, one would have to theorise that there was something in those claims...
Hope you are still enjoying the beach and some lovely warmer weather...
Not long now before our spring arrives along w/ the warmer climes...
Best wishes Maz
Steve
ox
Thank you
You are most welcome of course...
Best wishes...
Steve
Especially seeing as my husband was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at 28 and again about 10 years ago. Then of course I now have ET
Yes, well I guess I can see your concerns regarding your children in particular. However, and according to that article I posted, (as it was a very large cohort study), only about 25% of those surveyed were adversely affected in the study, which means that 75% were not of course... That translates to a 1 in 4 chance. Still encouraging and good odds that the majority might fall into the positive side.
However, the thing that has interested me most about this finding is that its findings are to the contrary, as to what all previous information had suggested, which was that MPNs were not thought to be genetically passed on... etc... Whereas, this study suggests quite strongly that the converse now might be true...
Best wishes
Steve
This is very interesting. My dad (89ys old) also has splenic non-Hodgkin lymphoma which is currently in remission. His siblings were also on blood thinners for various conditions while alive but it's not clear what for.
Definately appears to be link.
Thanks for the info.
Tamsin
You're most welcome Tamsin...
Thanks, Steve for posting this interesting article. This led me to look up other blood disorders as my Mother suffered from Pernicious Anaemia having monthly injections of B12 but it doesn't seem to have any connection with ET or any other MPN's. I did however find an article which stated Hydroxyurea can induce Hemolytic anaemia.....food for thought! Hope you are keeping as well as possible, Regards Fran
Hey Fran...
Yes, I believe that we are all still in the very early stages of uncovering all there is to know about Blood Cancers, (particularly MPNs), and how our genes might play a part in passing such mutations from one generation to another etc...
Hope you are well too Fran.
Best wishes
Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for flagging up this new article. I have looked at the abstracts and I don't believe that the researchers are saying that MPNs and other blood cancers are, or may be, inherited.
Rather they seem to be saying that a small proportion of people who have been diagnosed with a blood cancer have ,or had, parents, siblings or children with the same or different blood cancer. The percentage of people with a blood cancer who have affected close relatives is relatively small - about 4%. This should be reassuring as it means 96% of people with MPNs and other blood cancers don't have close family with similar conditions.
I think there is a problem with the term "familial risk" as it can cover a number of different circumstances.
Familial "risk" can be the result of children inheriting specific genes from their parents that cause a particular condition (think of haemophilia or even blue eyes). For MPNs this type of inherited risk is said to be exceptionally rare.
However "familial risk" can also be due to inheriting a combination of different genes that means your metabolism/biochemistry/physiology makes you more likely to develop a condition than an unrelated person with a different set of genes. In practice many people in this category won't develop the disease because they are not exposed to the factors (eg chemicals, radiation, microorganisms) that trigger the disease.
Familial risks can also arise because family members are more likely to live in the same place, have similar jobs, have similar lifestyles and be exposed to similar chemicals and microorganisms. Clearly a combination of similar exposures/lifestyles and a similar genetic make up can combine together to further increase the risk for close relatives.
Finally, familial risks can also be the result of family members being more aware of a particular condition. For example, if you, as a parent, know you have a rare blood cancer you are more likely to encourage your children to be checked out by their doctor. It doesn't mean that the disease is inherited just that you have a greater awareness of the illness - sometimes better than your children's GP - are more likely to get tests done and can help find a diagnosis.
Finding the causes of MPNs and other blood cancers is hard but studies like this one provide a small step towards a better understanding. Personally I am reassured that MPNs and other blood cancers are extremely unlikely to be inherited.
Steve
Hey Steve...
Firstly, my apologies for taking so long to reply to you. I wanted to revisit the article and reconfirm a few things before responding again.
It is of interest indeed, and the lead author, (Dr Amit Sud), makes some very interesting calculations. In the Abstract, he states that there were almost 160,000 patients selected from their Scandinavian data base of 16M. Of those, almost 400,000 were affected with one type of blood cancer or another, which to my poor math equates more closely to 25%, and not 4.1%, as you correctly corrected me from my earlier Post, (Thank you – Because that is what the articled states of course!)
Hence, I have now written to the Lead author, Dr Amit Sud, and asked a few pertinent questions in order to shed more light upon these most interesting of findings...
Hopefully, he will reply, and in due course, I shall revert to you again, (& MPN Voice), to clarify some of that which we have discussed here.
However, and all of that said, I do believe that the author is speculating that this incidence is much greater than previously believed, and that further steps might be taken to assess whether or not 'Familial Risk' whether derived via environmental effects (somatically), or via a genetic flaw, should be more closely appreciated for all of those that might be at greater risk of contracting any of the various forms of blood cancer, in my view...
Best wishes
Steve
Hi Steve. Just wanted to clarify the numbers qoted in the study. There were 153,000 people in the Swedish database who had a blood cancer/MPN. The figure of nearly 400,000 people was the total number of close family members also held in the database. These people do not necessarily have any illness.
I'm going to find out a bit more about the Swedish cancer registry as I would expect 153,000 people to have a lot more than 400,000 parents, siblings and children. Assuming, on average, two parents, one sibling and two children, a person, over a lifetime, should have five close relatives so there " should" be a total of 750,000 close family members in the Swedish database. Perhaps it only records relatives that were alive at the time of diagnosis.
Epidemiology is a minefield!
Steve
I understood same thing
Thanks for posting. Interesting
I remember reading about this a year ago:
mdmag.com/medical-news/rela...
Thanks for your Post ClubDino...
Seems Dr Amit Sud has made a few revisions since that time. Hopefully, he will soon reply to my request for some further clarification... (?)
Best wishes
Steve
I will be interested in his response. I have an aunt with PV and my 22 year old daughter has borderline high platelets now.
As shall I...
Wow, there certainly seems to be a familial tendency within your family...
Thanks ClubDino...
Steve
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