Diverse cancers in a family

I was wondering if anyone knows of a study on a family that has experienced a variety of cancers. My family has had too many encounters with cancer to be a coincidence. I'm from a family of eight. Since 1986 there have been 4 deaths from cancer. My oldest sister (actually a half sister) now has leukemia. I have just been diagnosed with the re-emergence of a tumor that was removed two years ago (and that was benign at that time).

In 1986 my mother died from lung cancer that spread to her brain.

In 1987 my father died from an unusual clear cell sarcoma.

In 1993 my youngest sister (34 years old) died from cervical cancer.

In 2007 another sister (57 years old) died from lung cancer.

If anyone can give me any guidance on possible studies I'd appreciate it.

I have been told unofficially that researchers suspect that there is an as yet unidentified mutation that affects the immune system and allows many different cancers to grow. 

My family is part of a study of inherited kidney cancer.  We have had three cases in my mother's family, and one more distant in my father's family.  I, my mother, and her mother all had premenopausal endometrial cancer.  My sister had kidney, lung and thyroid cancers; my mother had enometrial and kidney, her mother had endometrial and duodenal, her father had stomach cancer, and her brother had prostate and kidney cancers..  My father died of pancreatic cancer; his half brother died of multiple myeloma.  One of my cousins has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  All genetic tests have been negative, but the cancers in my family are almost certainly inherited--the cause has just not been found yet. 

Signs that cancer in a family may be inherited are:  diagnosis at a relatively early age (sometimes at an earlier age in succeeding generations), cancer in more than one generation, the same or related cancers in family members, more than one primary cancer in individuals, and tumors in both of paired organs (e.g. both kidneys).

 

 

    That is a lot of cancers for one family , my brother died of stomach cancer 10 years ago and my mother of lung cancer .   Since 2001 I have had bladder , adrenal and stomach cancers all unrelated  I also had two skin cancers removed non malignant , I was told two months ago I had lung cancer but further tests have proved this diagnosis incorrect .

     I has a second opinion and the ocoloogist has made a referral to a genetic health dept at my local hospital , I have filled in all the required paperwork and now awaiting to see if they are to do any genetic testing

I have been advised they will make a decision about December perhaps you could make the same enquiries, good luck

I think there definitely needs to be more studies in this area.  My grandmother died of cervical cancer that spread to her spine, my great aunt (my grandmother's sister) died of throat cancer, my great uncle (my grandmother's brother) died of colon cancer, my maternal aunt died of lung cancer, my mother is currently fighting NSC Lung cancer with mets to the brain. Some of it can probably be explained by lifestyle (ie smoking, obesity) but not all. My mother quit smoking over 20 years ago, but I guess it wasn't soon enough.  I think there's got to be a genetic component working here as well.

Based on recent research and findings, may want to look at diet and what your family eats. Bad genes, they say, account for less than 10% of cancers. More importantly, those bad genes get 'expressed' with bad diet and poor nutrition.

Eating a lot of meat and dairy?  Recommend reading 'The China Study' by Dr Campbell