Familial Bladder Cancer?

16 years 2 months ago #12678 by Nix
Replied by Nix on topic Familial Bladder Cancer?
I certainly don't know the scientific terms - since I am relatively new to all the Bladder Cancer (a little over a yr) However, my brother was dx 3 1/2 yrs ago and I was dx 14 months ago. My Uro said he believes since we both had the same enviorment growing-up in a steel town and both parents smoked (so did my brother and I) I quite 17 yrs ago - that with the enviorment and possibly a gene, brought both of us to this path.
I suspect it is all inclusive - outside environment + hereditary. My brother has a neo-bladder, however mine was caught early - so I am still going the BCG and cystos every three months.

Nancy S
Ta CIS
dx Ta 11/06
dx Ta CIS 10/07

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16 years 2 months ago #12677 by Rosemary
Replied by Rosemary on topic Familial Bladder Cancer?
Here is what I was looking for. This is from Dr. Steinberg....

Although no convincing evidence exists for a hereditary factor in the development of bladder cancer, familial clusters of bladder cancer have been reported. Several genetic mutations have been identified in bladder cancer. Mutations of the tumor suppressor gene for p53, found on chromosome 17, are associated with high-grade bladder cancer and CIS. Mutations of the tumor suppressor gene for p15 and p16, found on chromosome 9, are associated with low-grade and superficial tumors. Retinoblastoma (Rb) tumor suppressor gene mutations are also noted. Bladder cancer is associated with increased expression of the epidermal growth factor gene and the erb-b2 oncogene, and mutations of the oncogenes p21 ras, c-myc, and c-jun.

www.emedicine.com/med/topic2344.htm

Rosemary
Age - 55
T1 G3 - Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006

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16 years 2 months ago #12676 by Rosemary
Replied by Rosemary on topic Familial Bladder Cancer?
Dear G,

What a kick in the gut!! I do like the impressions that you are painting of your Urologist, however, and I believe that he is covering all the bases. Please keep us posted.

As far as the familial issue goes, I have heard it both ways. I have had two different Urologists since my Dx and one believes that it is familial and one did not believe that it was familial, that it was just the luck of the draw. My Aunt died very young of kidney cancer and one doctor thought that it could be a related cancer and one doctor did not think that it was related... :P

Since I have done a lot of research on this and have occasionaly come across a mention of a gene type that makes one more susceptible to bladder cancer, I decided to google again, and this is a surprising hit that I got. I think I will post this in my obscure reasons for bladder cancer thread, too. I'm still looking for the name of another gene that I've come across before...

This case study has something to do with a metabolizing gene and a lack of metabolism of folic acid. I haven't heard this one before.

Polymorphisms of folate metabolic genes and susceptibility to bladder cancer: a case-control study

carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/25/9/1639

Rosemary
Age - 55
T1 G3 - Tumor free 2 yrs 3 months
Dx January 2006

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16 years 2 months ago #12673 by annec
Replied by annec on topic Familial Bladder Cancer?
Firstly, I understand that it is called familial rather than heriditary. I think this means that the disease itself is not passed down, but that there is a genetic weakness which makes it more likely. It's quite possible that someone else in your family had it, without knowing. My father had prostate cancer.
GMan- you must have been so disappointed, but it's good to hear the positive attitude in your message. They are looking after you and doing everything possible from the sounds of it, so good for you. Keep positive, get through this tough time and don't forget to have fun sometimes!
Anne

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16 years 2 months ago #12671 by Gman1979
Replied by Gman1979 on topic Familial Bladder Cancer?
I can first speak to Debi and tell her that my uro feels that my condition is all genetic and somewheres along the line I experienced some sort of "trigger" that put all of this in motion. However, no one in my family has ever had bladder cancer (that anyone can remember).

Which brings me to my follow up of the cysto I had today. Uro found 3 more tumors in my bladder, which means the BCG didn't help (or maybe it did, maybe I would have had more without). A very depressing setback, but I will keep fighting. My uro has never seen a case like this, where tumors form so quickly and in different areas of the bladder in such a young (29, b-day was Jan. 14) person. He also refers to it as a "nuisance" cancer. If he felt there was a grave risk of rapid progression or invasion he would have considered removing my bladder, but he doesn't feel that is the case. All of mine (though many) have been low grade.

So, we're going with the instillation of mitomycin-C immediately after resection and we will go with inteferon + BCG when I begin those. After that, who knows?

Third set of recurrences . . . the anniversary of the first discovery of my cancer came and went (Jan. 3). Family is taking it hard, but I know that I have to fight the fight and just pray that I'm not one of the few that progress to an invasive tumor. I thank everyone for your prayers and thoughts.

"I am third."
-Gayle Sayers

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16 years 2 months ago #12666 by driscolls
Familial Bladder Cancer? was created by driscolls
I'm probably posting in the wrong section again, but here goes...

Does anyone know of any evidence of bladder cancer being hereditary? My dad died of bladder cancer two years ago and we just found out (he never even knew) that his maternal grandfather also had bladder cancer. Heart attack is listed as the cause of death on his grandfather's death certificate - which we just found - but bladder cancer was also listed.

Just curious and a little worried!

Thanks,
Debi

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