How Many Of You Have Lost Relatives To Colon Cancer?

[Ms. Skinny Chic]

My praternal grandmother died in her 30's from colon cancer.

This autoimmune disease seems to have some devastating affects on you, if it goes untreated for too long.

My biggest fear is dying from colon cancer...

I worry about my weight loss associated with celiac disease constantly and what could happen... if, I don't get any better.

[trents]

I don't think there is a link between celiac disease and colon cancer. The two diseases affect opposite ends of the 25' long intestinal tube.

[digmom1014]

That may be very true but, it makes me wonder also. I hope others chime in on this issue. My Dad was diagnosed with colon cancer 2 yrs. ago. Currently, he has had to undergo a full colostomy and wears the dreaded bag. He is 80 yrs. old and I often wonder if he had made a diet change earlier if it would have helped him.

[DingoGirl]

Yes, two different ends of the intestine are affected but...gluten is a constant irritant to the intestinal tract of those susceptible, so I think it highly probable that they are connected, and have read that they are.

My dad died of colon cancer 21 years ago at 56 years old. But it's so highly treatable - he ignored the symptoms, and after quite a long time, the tumor burst, scattering the cancer cells everywhere. By that time it was too late.

Skinny Chick - colon cancer is a very preventable death - if you have a colonoscopy, and your doctor removes any polyps, you've taken care of it! Have you had this yet? My GI did tell me that all polyps eventually turn into cancer, given enough time. I had a good-sized polyp removed during my colonoscopy three years ago, and I"m not worried in the slightest about EVER developing colon cancer, now that I'm gluten-free (I"ll have another one in two years)....though maybe my overconfidence in this is errant, I just don't think so.

My paternal grandfather had many polyps removed during his lifetime, and never developed that cancer, living into his nineties.

Digmom - I'm sorry about what your dad went through, but he's still here!

If people catch tumour(s) early enough, the surrounding section of the colon is simply removed, treatment follows, and the success rate is very high.

I don't know what age is recommended for one's first colonoscopy, but I encourage ANYone with any concern to have one - they're totally painless, I was asleep through the whole thing.

[terri]

My mother also had colon cancer and ended up with a colostomy bag. My father died from Pancreatic cancer. I believe he was the Celiac, as he was always sick after eating at died early at the age of 56. My mom's surgery worked and she lived to be 85 but passed from Altzheimers. I believe there is a link between untreated Celiac and cancer, for sure.

[curlyfries]

My mom died of colon cancer at 64......she also ignored the symptoms. There was only about 4 or 5 months from diagnosis to passing away.

[jerseyangel]

30 years ago, my dad had a polyp removed that turned out to be malignant. It was in an early stage--they felt they got it all, but he continued to have colonoscopies every 6 months for years. Eventualy, the time between colonoscopies became longer. He's still here with us and I believe it was that colonoscopy years ago that saved his life.

[sbj]

My praternal grandmother died in her 30's from colon cancer . . . My biggest fear is dying from colon cancer...

Ms. Skinny: Does anyone else in your family have cancer? That is young to succumb and it may be the case that your grandmother had a genetic condition. I am from what is known as a Lynch family - many of us 'carry a cancer gene' that causes HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer). Persons who carry this genetic marker have an approximate 50% chance of getting colon cancer by the time they reach 45 years of age and an 80% risk of acquiring certain forms of cancer in their lifetimes. In my case, my paternal grandfather had colon cancer along with my paternal uncle, and my brother. My father had kidney cancer which is also related to this condition. (There is plenty of other cancer in my family: multiple myeloma, throat, skin, etc., but only these particular cases are indicative of the hereditary condition.)

So, please review your family history with your doctor. He/she can determine if any genetic testing is appropriate - it is usually not required and you probably have nothing to worry about as the condition is rare. A poster above mentioned colonoscopy and polyp removal and he/she is correct. So long as you have the proper screening and have the polyps removed at the appropriate time then you have little to fear. I am only aware of intestinal lymphoma being associated with celiac, and the relation applies only to untreated celiac, and even then it is rare.

If you are worried about cancer you should eat right, exercise, and get recommended screening. And then you should stop worrying.

[cyberprof]

Ms. Skinny: Does anyone else in your family have cancer? That is young to succumb and it may be the case that your grandmother had a genetic condition. I am from what is known as a Lynch family - many of us 'carry a cancer gene' that causes HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer). Persons who carry this genetic marker have an approximate 50% chance of getting colon cancer by the time they reach 45 years of age and an 80% risk of acquiring certain forms of cancer in their lifetimes. In my case, my paternal grandfather had colon cancer along with my paternal uncle, and my brother. My father had kidney cancer which is also related to this condition. (There is plenty of other cancer in my family: multiple myeloma, throat, skin, etc., but only these particular cases are indicative of the hereditary condition.)

So, please review your family history with your doctor. He/she can determine if any genetic testing is appropriate - it is usually not required and you probably have nothing to worry about as the condition is rare. A poster above mentioned colonoscopy and polyp removal and he/she is correct. So long as you have the proper screening and have the polyps removed at the appropriate time then you have little to fear. I am only aware of intestinal lymphoma being associated with celiac, and the relation applies only to untreated celiac, and even then it is rare.

If you are worried about cancer you should eat right, exercise, and get recommended screening. And then you should stop worrying.

I agree about the not worrying ...but it is hard.

SBJ, some stomach cancer is also linked to celiac, as are some cases of melanoma I believe. I doubt that you could say that colon cancer is not related - there isn't enough/any research to prove or disprove it.

I am working up to my first colonoscopy (I just turned 50...). I get terrible sores from D when I accidentally have gluten so I think that there might be some damage to the colon from gluten in undiagnosed celiacs. Just IMO.

[sbj]

I agree about the not worrying ...but it is hard. SBJ, some stomach cancer is also linked to celiac, as are some cases of melanoma I believe. I doubt that you could say that colon cancer is not related - there isn't enough/any research to prove or disprove it. I am working up to my first colonoscopy (I just turned 50...). I get terrible sores from D when I accidentally have gluten so I think that there might be some damage to the colon from gluten in undiagnosed celiacs. Just IMO.

Oh, sorry if you misunderstood. I didn't say that colon cancer wasn't related, only that I don't know of any scientific/medical studies that show a relation. Believe me, I realize we don't know everything so I never dismiss anything out of hand. But I was trying to make a point about the sometimes hereditary nature of colon cancer when it strikes that young. That's why my primary piece of advice to the poster was to collect a complete family history going back two generations and discussing that with her doctor.

OTOH, I don't just go with my hunches when it comes to something like cancer. Someone else posted that their mother, I believe, passed only a few months after being diagnosed. That's the problem with colon cancer - you really can't wait until you start feeling symptoms, by then it might be too late. You have to get the colonoscopy before you start feeling symptoms. You can't just listen to your body, you should follow the medical establishment's cancer screening recommendations also. Personally, I like to research the medical studies and speak with a medical professional but no one out there knows everything.

[mushroom]

SBJ, some stomach cancer is also linked to celiac, as are some cases of melanoma I believe.

I had not heard about the melanoma link; that is interesting to me. I have two sisters and all of three us have had melanomas. We are a melanoma family, and also a breast/ovarian cancer family. My eldest sister and I are both self-diagnosed celiacs and my sister's daughter is diagnoed, and our other sister has all the symptoms but "does not believe in it". My late mother and brother had "digestive issues" . My mother and my two sisters have had breast cancer and my mother died of ovarian cancer. It would be fascinating if the breastcancer/melanoma/celiac genes were linked. I am pretty sure the breast cancer and melanoma genes are.

[Carri Ninja]

I have celiac and was just diagnosed with colon cancer - I am 29.

My grandmother was 52 when she died - body was filled with cancer and she was a diabetic - suspect celiac as well.

Grandfather had it when he was in his 40's

Several of my family members have had colon cancer at young ages and several are celiacs and a few are autistic as well. No one in my family has lived past 84, and most die in the late 60's early 70's.

Genetics are not kind in my family and perhaps that's the nasty culprit, but one has to get a little suspicious of the celiac when it is so prevalent !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[txplowgirl]

This is very interesting.

I grew up with all these stomach problems and was told by my dad and grandmother. (his mom). That stomach problems ran in the family so get used to it. I did, was so used to it that I never seen a dr for it because it was normal in our family. My father, 10 minutes after eating was in the bathroom. As well as a couple of sisters and brothers. He was 1 of 11. I can remember family reunions was interesting because after eating it was a case of who made it to the bathroom first

Anyway, as for cancers. My dad died of colon cancer. 2 uncles had stomach and lung cancer. an aunt had ovarian cancer. Then there was a first cousin of mine, he was only 32 when he died from a very rare brain stem cancer. two other cousins have breast cancer and three have brain tumors and 1 with kidney cancer. In the last 40 yrs there has been 24 other family members die of different types of cancer. 7 of those were colon cancer. There are also a lot of family members with different stomach problems as well as thyroid problems, diabetes, lupus, arthritis and congestive heart failure. This is all on my dad's side of the family. I think that is very interesting because all of these people have had stomach problems after eating from an early age.

I said to heck with blood tests. After being dx'd with Fibromyalgia and subsequent research into food allergies related to that came across the gluten problem. Very normal for me to have D at least 4 times a week since childhood. Have been gluten free for almost 5 months now and have only had D twice, that was after I was glutened. No way am I going back on gluten for blood tests. In my opinion, cancer is related to gluten. I have watched family memebers die slow, horrible, painful deaths since I was little and I am doing all I can to keep from being the next family member that gets it.

[ranger]

Yes, two different ends of the intestine are affected but...gluten is a constant irritant to the intestinal tract of those susceptible, so I think it highly probable that they are connected, and have read that they are.

My dad died of colon cancer 21 years ago at 56 years old. But it's so highly treatable - he ignored the symptoms, and after quite a long time, the tumor burst, scattering the cancer cells everywhere. By that time it was too late.

Skinny Chick - colon cancer is a very preventable death - if you have a colonoscopy, and your doctor removes any polyps, you've taken care of it! Have you had this yet? My GI did tell me that all polyps eventually turn into cancer, given enough time. I had a good-sized polyp removed during my colonoscopy three years ago, and I"m not worried in the slightest about EVER developing colon cancer, now that I'm gluten-free (I"ll have another one in two years)....though maybe my overconfidence in this is errant, I just don't think so.

My paternal grandfather had many polyps removed during his lifetime, and never developed that cancer, living into his nineties.

Digmom - I'm sorry about what your dad went through, but he's still here!

If people catch tumour(s) early enough, the surrounding section of the colon is simply removed, treatment follows, and the success rate is very high.

I don't know what age is recommended for one's first colonoscopy, but I encourage ANYone with any concern to have one - they're totally painless, I was asleep through the whole thing.

My Father died of colon cancer at the age of 63 - same thing. He let it go, even though he was symptomatic, untill it was too late. When he finally landed in the ER, it had spread to so many organs, they just stitched him up and sent him home to die. I am 63, and just had my first colonostomy. Everything good, thank God. I did talk my 53 year old sis to have one and hers turned out fine, too. One sister died at age 63, also, so this year is one of some anxiey for me. I can't wait till my 64th b-day - maybe I'll be able to exhale!

[ravenwoodglass]

My Father died of colon cancer at the age of 63 - same thing. He let it go, even though he was symptomatic, untill it was too late. When he finally landed in the ER, it had spread to so many organs, they just stitched him up and sent him home to die. I am 63, and just had my first colonostomy. Everything good, thank God. I did talk my 53 year old sis to have one and hers turned out fine, too. One sister died at age 63, also, so this year is one of some anxiey for me. I can't wait till my 64th b-day - maybe I'll be able to exhale!

Ranger I really, really hope you meant colonoscopy not colonostomy. A colonostomy is where they have to reroute the bowel to empty through a hole in the abdomen. I hope that wasn't something you had to have done.

[DreamWalker]

My praternal grandmother died in her 30's from colon cancer.

My grandmother also developed colon cancer in her thirties. She beat it, then it returned in her late 40's/early 50's. They wound up removing her entire colon. Yet, she is the most stubborn woman I have ever met - seriously. She actually managed without the dreaded bag. Although, to be perfectly frank, I suppose her life was a bit embarrassing with the immediate need to run to the bathroom and um the "bucket" she kept in her room & drives.....uh (This might be a celiac board yet I somehow think I'll be grossing the world out still!) I have no idea how she managed in all honesty. She also developed breast cancer & Hodgkins lymphoma later in life. She's still alive (although suffers from severe dementia so she's not truly "there." ) and how I'll never know. Apparently, she was diagnosed with Celiac early-on in life (teens or twenties I'm assuming) yet they told her she'd grow out of it? I'm convinced she never would have suffered through countless health issues (cancer in particular) if she had eaten a gluten free diet.

You've caught the Celiac & are no longer eating gluten. Get checked out by your doctor of course but I wouldn't fret too much. You know what needs to be eliminated to improve your health and prevent developing colon cancer and a myriad of other things...

Like everyone said, have a colonoscopy if you think its necessary. They're not too terrible. I had my first one when I was 13... Although, I haven't touched anything orange flavored since.