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Familial prostate ca ?

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Posted 8/10/2013 5:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there :)
I'm a concerned mother with an extensive family history of prostate ca looking for info / advice...
My maternal grandfather and two of his brothers plus 3 of my 4 uncles ( his sons) have had prostate ca in my grandfathers generation he was the youngest passing away at 72 but with my uncles they were all diagnosed in their 50's.
I have 2 concerns 1: my risk of breast ca if this were a Brca mutation that my family carries but my mum has 5 sisters and they range in age fro
56-71 all no bc touch wood !!!
And 2: my two young sons risk of getting prostate ca at some point.
Is there anyone in here who can guide me as to whether they have similar prostate ca history with/ without cancer in the females of their family and what docs say about it?
Being that my uncles have it how does that go for risk to my children ? Thanks in advance :)
Posted 8/10/2013 5:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I can't offer any comments on any possible connection with breast cancer, but I would think that is a totally different -- and unrelated -- thing. So my guess is that you have nothing to worry about in that regard.

As for your young sons, indeed they might at greater risk than normal for developing PC at some point in their lives. But I'm not sure if the genes would be inherited through a maternal grandfather as opposed to a paternal grandfather.

Here is a Google link to a list of articles that you can probably read through & find out:
https://www.google.com/#bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&fp=fb04fac6490abd93&q=maternal+grandfather+genetics

If the genes CAN be passed down to your young sons, it would be wise for them to begin PSA testing around age 40, perhaps even sooner with so many family members having PC.

If they begin PSA testing at that point in their lives -- and keep testing on an annual basis -- they can track their readings from year to year and then hopefully stay ahead of the game in case PC should arrive at some future time.

Good luck!
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & VERY slowly getting a bit stronger.
Posted 8/10/2013 9:19 AM (GMT 0)
As far as my investigations show the genes can be passed down the maternal line.
My husband Paul's maternal grandfather died of PCa and so did two of his uncles, one dying in his late fifties of PCa.

The key feature of inherited PCa is that this type of cancer usually exhibits at a much earlier age (15 years earlier on average) than regular PCa. I recall a stat like 50% of people diagnosed at age 50 had inherited PCa.

So your sons do need testing at age 40 to establish a baseline and regular testing thereafter.

An
Posted 8/10/2013 9:33 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys :) my uncles were all mid 50's there is definately something going on I guess I'm trying to figure out if prostate ca can be hereditary on its own or is it always linked to female cancers as well ie the Brca genes ?
Posted 8/10/2013 9:34 AM (GMT 0)
An I'm from aus as well :) did any of your husbands female relatives have cancer ?
Posted 8/10/2013 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
No, he has three aunts and his mum. His mother is 92, fit as a fiddle and living on her own. Two of her younger sisters are in nursing homes and the other one died two weeks ago possibly from leaukimia.

No breast cancer, just a prevelance of prostate cancer in the males.
Posted 8/11/2013 5:06 AM (GMT 0)
There is a genetic link between breast and prostate cancer:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/05/040503054534.htm

Does that mean that your sons will get PCa? Definitely not necessarily. It might increase the odds a bit, but the odds are still likely low.

My mother has had breast cancer, and with my grandfather having had PCa, that increased my odds. But as his doc told my brother, who asked him, "Since my brother got PCa, does that mean I'll get it?" His doc replied, "No, I don't think you are going to get PCa".

Hope my link works above...
Jeff
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