Cancer

This is obviously something that scares everyone. My friend has just told me both a family friend and her grandma have recently been diagnosed with two different types of cancer. She is from a smoking family, although she is the only one in her family not to smoke. Her grandma is dying of lung cancer.

In my family, i lost an aunt of 37 years old from ovarian cancer last year. So this year, me, my mum and my friend will be running the race for life.

Is there anyone else who worries about themselves getting cancer in the future? there's a 1 in 4 chance (or is it 1 in 3) of us getting it at some point in our lives, and i have this horrid feeling that person will be me. I can't even bear thinking about it. Not sure what the point of this thread is, but i guess i just want to know there are people like me out there who feel the same way.

Thanks

Reply 1

dh00001

16

i dont worry about it. theres nothing you can do about it so its just a pointless worry

Reply 2

Kimbolina

My uncle has just been diagnosed with cancer :frown:

He's really old and isn't accepting treatment because he feels that he's lived his life. I was thinking how can something like that happen to such a lovely bloke :frown:

I will probably get cancer as it runs in the family but I try to not think about it too much, if it happens it happens and I'll just have to deal with it if it comes up :smile:

Reply 3

Botticello

20

Yes, I think everyone is. There isn't a history of cancer in this family but my grandad died from smoking related lung cancer before I was born. I just hope one day a cure will be found, its sounds absolutely foul to have :frown:

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Reply 4

Cooro

14

It's one of my biggest worries, but it's not prevalent in my family. The only relative I know to die of it was my Gandad on my Mum's side, and he was a smoker and died of lung cancer. The only other person I know who died of it was a friend's mother.

Reply 5

AmberB

I worry about getting it too sometimes, But like dh00001 says, it's just a pointless worry. When my Dad died of Cancer a few years ago; it was an extremely hard time for all my family. I didn't cope with it too well with it,and I think that's partly why it scares me so much when I think of all the illnesses that are about.. so I think the best thing is to just not think about it. As my Nan always said "Don't worry, might never happen..".

Reply 6

Archibald246

13

My auntie and my grandma both have it so apparently my chances of getting it are higher. But seeing the way that my Auntie has managed it, I'm not worried. She has all her family around her and i think it has made her stronger. All the treatment and hospital stays (even on Christmas day), she sees as just a necessary step towards getting better :smile:

. If i got it, i know that my family would be strong for me.

Reply 7

SoSheDances

I know what you mean, it's a horrible thought that in the future there's a chance of developing cancer, but like dh00001 says, there's nothing we can do to help it, so worrying about it IS pointless.

I guess the most any of us can do is to try and be as healthy as possible - plenty of exercise, fruit, vegetables, high-fibre roughage, avoiding excess chemicals... I know cancer doesn't always strike "fairly" (my Grandma eats SO healthy and exercises so much and she developed bowel cancer a few years back) but I guess it's the best any of us can do? That and get screened regularly and get a checkup as soon as we notice any possibly cancerous changes..

I know i'm stating the obvious, but it's my best attempt to be reassuring and show we all think about it sometimes, too. *hugs*

Reply 8

IndelibleBlack

To be honest cancer is just one thing to take us away, think .... final destination. We could die at any point from anything, so don't dwell on it too much. Its an unfortunate disease we have to live with but while your healthy and alive at least live.
My nan was a smoker, she died from lung cancer and my grandad and his sister both died from brain tumors. I have an uncle with heart conditions etc.
If something happens we can only deal with the best we can with what is available until someone skips along with a cure =]

Reply 9

puppy

I don't worry about it at all, something has to kill you, if it wasn't cancer it would be something else. A lot of people with various types of cancer died from old age before the cancer kills them anyway so the statistics exaggerate the situation somewhat.

Reply 10

Buecherwurm

Some siblings of my grandfather (the father of my dad) had cancer and my mothers dad died because of it.
My father has it and is dying at the moment and because of all that I am worried that I could get it. But I try not to think about it

Reply 11

arminvanpite

14

Ah, the one in three chance. *******s to that, really.

My Dad was diagnosed with Head & Neck in 1999 and a few years later given the all clear. My Mum was diagnosed with Breast in the early 2000's and a few years later given the all clear. Last February my Dad was diagnosed with terminal Lung (and has apparently had it sinced 1999, but I won't be going into that) and well, there is only the three of us in this immediate family. Of course I have a higher chance of this since I have two primary carriers but to be brutally honest I'm not worried, etc. about it. If it happens, it'll happen. Blah blah, etc. So, yeah. It is a scary thing though. Really, I'd rather be going through it right now than have my Dad going through it.

Reply 12

punktopia

3

Yeah, it terrifies me. The thing about it is that you can do something about it - not in all cases, but often if you catch it early enough it'll be treatable. Obviously, lifestyle affects your chances of getting it too.

In the past I've let this worry control my life somewhat - any time I find a lump (even when it just turns out to be a big spot or something) or even just experiencing random pains can get me worrying about it.

Reply 13

bit_of_a_berk

jenren22

This is obviously something that scares everyone. My friend has just told me both a family friend and her grandma have recently been diagnosed with two different types of cancer. She is from a smoking family, although she is the only one in her family not to smoke. Her grandma is dying of lung cancer.

In my family, i lost an aunt of 37 years old from ovarian cancer last year. So this year, me, my mum and my friend will be running the race for life.

Is there anyone else who worries about themselves getting cancer in the future? there's a 1 in 4 chance (or is it 1 in 3) of us getting it at some point in our lives, and i have this horrid feeling that person will be me. I can't even bear thinking about it. Not sure what the point of this thread is, but i guess i just want to know there are people like me out there who feel the same way.

Thanks

Well two generations in my family have died from the same cancer and I really used to feel like I was next in line as a teen, but I don't worry about it at all now. If anything I worry more about it striking people I love more than I do about myself getting ill.

Reply 14

suek

17

I'm not scared of cancer. I don't lead a particularly cancerous lifestyle (though if today's papers are anything to go by I should now be regretting the occasional Cumberland sausage...)

Just got to be aware of it really. Yes it's been in my family too, but.. whatever will be, will be...

Reply 15

8EnglishRoses

10

I think I'm going to get cancer. I don't know why, I just have a feeling. I'm not particularly scared, I just think it's something that is going to happen.

Reply 16

Angelil

19

It is scary, but I try and comfort myself with the thought that I don't drink to excess, I don't smoke, and I eat relatively healthily and try to exercise, so really I'm doing all I can for myself. Plus, even more comforting is the notion that medical science is advancing further and further all the time, so if any of our generation do get cancer in the future, chances are that the treatments will be even more advanced than they are now and that we will therefore have a higher chance of recovery.

Reply 17

22KT22

15

Cancer is really scary and when someone has it in your family it can rip your whole life apart, am i scared of getting it... no. im more scared of losing my dad and watching the people i love suffer from it, its a horrible disease and when you watch someone going through it its the most scary thing and most helpless feeling in the world, you shouldnt be scared but use it as a push for you to live your life to the full and take every oppotunity you can..life is too short and can be snatched away for many reasons but as others have said it may never happen.

Reply 18

SpiritedAway

17

yeah. both of my great granddads died of cancer, now my aunt and my grandma has it, and my great grandmother is having tests for it. i was always scared i'd get it and at one point, when my grandma was first diagnosed, swore down that i did have it. but that was just paranoia and past within a couple of months.

Reply 19

little-clumsy-me

10

well cancer is genetic in my family...and everyone seems to have just all of a sudden got it within my family...we lose someone each year and it tears us to pieces and if its not cancer its some other kind of disease

Cancer

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