I've had 3 cancers: Thyroid cancer, Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer

@cbb- Good morning and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm glad that you found us. I'd love to know more about your interest in this post. Do you have 3 different cancers? I'm far from being a scientist and no nothing about Xrays side effects, especially as children. Do you have personal or professional knowledge of this?

Hello @mermaid7272,

Your story about your multiple cancers, not related to each other, is undoubtedly interesting to the medical community. I'm so glad to hear that you have recovered from your treatments. Sometimes teaching hospitals can very good patient care but it sounds as if this was not the case for you.

If you have children and/or grandchildren the results of gene testing might be very helpful for them in thinking about their future health. Are you considering the testing for the gene/genes that might be responsible for your cancers?

There does seem to be a connection. I had breast cancer two years ago and am now facing thyroid cancer. I believe the thyroid cancer was missed and possibly lead to the breast cancer, although it is not a metastatic condition. I believe the connection is via the hormones, although lung metastasis is common in BC. I also discovered genetic variations for BC and TC so that explains my connection.

There are a few ways that I have learned about to connect some of these. @mjay is correct in some cases it is genetic for sure, in my family we have a genetic predisposition to quite a few different cancers, and we have seen a few different ones that I know of. I was reading a paper from Mayo recently about the late effects from breast cancer treatment and both lung and thyroid cancer were on the possibility list. Both I believe were related to the radiation. I also believe there is some hormone connections, but in my opinion that is an increase in risk for different cancers because of hormones, rather than an outright cause.

My dad passed in 2008. He had pancreatic cancer as well, along with other miscellaneous ailments. I was really close to my dad in many ways. He was man who literally "worked himself to death." I never treated him any different when his health declined. I saw how others changed their demeanor in a sympathetic tone. I discovered that trying to help was inderectly distancing relationships rather than tightening them. The time we had together was effortless and I really cherish those memories.
I don't want to tell anyone what to do or think in their struggles. I hope this helps you in any way.

Hello @organizingkaos

I really appreciate your thoughtful observations about how you approached your dad's final days. I especially appreciate that you emphasized that your time with him, "was effortless and I really cherish those memories." That is a great response. I think that others can be helped by your words.

If there is one idea you can share on how you developed this attitude, what one idea would that be?

The concept of these not being related is simply crap. One disease which relates them all is Gelsolin, a form of MM. Another is LGMD2m. Another is Clarkson's, CALR. There are many others. I have had 53 (fifty-three) surgical cancer (mostly cardiac) procedures, and I have these three diseases, and more. Get yourself a good whole genome sequencing, and a good doctor.

I am very curious also. I had breast cancer 11 years ago, now I have a tumor in my liver and they say they see nodules in my lungs chest & spine. Had chemo & surgery and have been on a hormone blocker everyday since orig diagnosis in 2011.

Hi mssewest, I had three cancerous liver carcinomas in my liver and was treated with Y90 radiation which is pretty much a breeze and for the past six months the carcinomas show they are dead. My Interventional Radiologist who did the radiation shoot says ... "liver carcinomas well treated" though I think he's just being too cautious, I think they are dead. Might this be an option for you? Diane

That is great news Diane, I won’t know anything more until I have a biopsy in the next week. I’m not near a Mayo Clinic and not sure if they practice this technique at the cancer institute I go to. Please keep us updated. May I ask was a piece of your liver removed and are you on medication now to manage reoccurrence?