Different types of cancer ...same person

Well Dirt...several years ago was diagnosed with skin cancer and then last year prostate cancer. Ironically, my skin cancer doctor said that there was a correlation between skin and other cancers...yet my urologist said there was none with PCa. So I don't know.

And the worst part is because of some other medical issues, I had a DNA typing that said that liver disease will be the next item on the list. So now I have to have several liver tests done pretty regularly. Go figure...

I work for a children's charity...we provide support to families whose child has been diagnosed with a catastrophic/life-threatening illness (most often, a type of cancer). Some of our families came back to us for assistance years after their child was successfully treated for one form of cancer because their child now has another form of cancer. With small children, the chemotherapy/radiation treatments they receive - and children often go through 3 straight years of treatment - messes with their body chemistry. Since their little bodies are still developing when the disease first strikes, the effects of chemo/radiation seem to be more devastating and have manifested in a totally unrelated cancer. Since children generally can tolerate much more powerful and aggressive treatments than adults, their treatments are more aggressive and of a longer duration. That's not to say that we see alot of secondary cancers years after treatment; we don't but we see enough to wonder what damage the treatments do.

I know a lady who has had cervical, breast and colon all in a 10 year period, had surgery for all 3, had chemo for breast and colon, still with us.

Paul has had 2 cancers. Testicular cancer patients do have a greater chance of a second solid tumor for many years following treatment with either chemo or radiation. The amount of radiation is agressive because it works. More than 95% of stage 2 seminoma's are cured with surgery and radation or chemo. That's the good news. The not quite as good news is; the radiation field is so large (scrotum to kidney) and very tight at the pelvis. It stands to reason, not everything can be avoided using shields no matter how hard they try. The promising news is; most secondary tumors are successfully treated, likely thanks to early detection during follow ups. The risk of a second solid cancer is somewhere around 2-10% if I remember right.

Based on cell morphology, 3 consulting pathologists suspect Paul's prostate cancer was helped along by scatter radiation. I'm not sure if anyone can say absolutely yes or no..at least no one does. What we were told is the tissue found in his prostate biopsy was consistent with what they see in men who have received radiation. They can only guess at the rest.

Swim

I have read that cancer patients are more prone to getting cancer again in different areas of the body.