What caused my cancer?

I feel as though I do know what gave me cancer ( stage IV breast) but I don’t want to share my thoughts. You are very strong to share yours or be prepared to accept your limited time left. Best wishes to you!

I read your post with interest, and for myself I believe flooroscope amd chest x-rays caused me to have breast cancer at such a young age. When I was 13, my school gave the Tuberculin Test and mine came up positive. They then insisted I have a chest x-ray which showed something looking positive and the City of SanFrancisco insisted I had to be put in the hospital. My mother tried her best to convince them that what they were seeing on my lung was from Pneumonia but no one would listen. I spent 1 year hospitalized. Never had a positive sputum. but was flouroscoped every month and x-rayed every two or three months. Nothing ever changed on my lung and after a year they let me go home. Knowing what we know today about x-ray exposure, particularly at such a young age, I believe this was the cause.
Gina5009

Thank you, Gina, for sharing your story. That is so awful and sad that you spent a year in the hospital! I too wonder about X-ray exposure. I am 70 now, but when I was in my mid forties I had something respiratory going on. I went to my primary care physician who ordered an X-ray to be performed in office. The tech was new and put me very close to X-ray machine (maybe a foot or less). Images were blurry so she repeated a couple more times. Finally she told the doctor she was having trouble and the doctor moved me to the proper distance.

There are other factors that come to mind, but who knows if there was an impact from this event.

Best wishes, Cindy

As crazy as it sounds, and although it’s not enough significant research on it but about a year ago my son elbowed my breast (just playing around, he was 1 at the time) in the exact spot my cancer is located. When it happened, I thought to myself, “ouch, that’s gonna leave a bruise!!” but I feel deep down that hit caused some type of change/cellular or tissue damage. I would never blame my son, he was a baby! But I do feel if that hit wouldn’t have happened would this be??

I ask myself this question all the time. I have no genetics nor family history. I eat clean organic, shun hormone disrupters, lo animal protein ( grass fed only) big in fruit and vegetables, alcohol maybe once a month, non smoker, long distance biker and hiker, yoga practitioner, mother of two healthy adult children and stable relationship for 54 years … etc!

Yep! I ask HOW? No idea but 4 people on my very long block, in a non industrial town, have had BC over the last 10 years. Soil and air testing shows nothing .

I feel that I’ll never know.

As much as they say it does not matter, I say stress plays an important role of the development of breast cancer. My dime store theory is...some of us have the unlucky ability to get it, and then toss in stress and maybe a cancer that was indolent now becomes invasive. My cheap theory also includes lack of vitamin D can also help cancer get started. ALL women should be taking Vitamin D everyday. And while we can never remove stress (it happens) be careful getting screened for cancer during those times. I think that some cancers such cervix can regress on their own. And try your best to stay focused and happy even during tough times.

Thank you for your information. There are so many maybe's in medicine, and with all of our new and wonderful medical findings, sometimes I feel like we are still stumbling in the dark. Many years from now, people will probably look back and say "too bad, we just didn't know". Keep your chin up and know you are now well and cured.
Gina5009

Stress IS definitely a big factor. I have considered the enormous stress I felt as my daughter was an “ essential” Veterinarian working in NYC during the pandemic AND the 4 year political climate around that to have been a factor for me.

I did engage in serious meditation to mitigate.

Thanks for sharing this graphic about BC causation!

I think my breast cancer was caused by two risk factors:
1. being old
2. having breasts
Irony aside, I practice good health habits just to feel ok day to day, rather than believing that will confer longevity or immortality. The Roman philosopher Seneca notes that people put a lot of stock in small amounts of time--months, or a few years--when from the vantage point of let's say a star or a mountain these are pretty meaningless! I guess I want us all to take good care of ourselves, while realizing a fair amount is up to chance.