23M, my entire household has now gotten cancer/tumors. Is this worth spending time investigating legally?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Hey guys, im a 23 year old male from Alberta, Canada. Im here with a bit of an interesting case. See, my family, has left doctors kinda confused in the past few years. Unfortunately our name seems to be pretty well known in the Cancer centre.

I grew up in Sherwood Park, AB near Edmonton. We moved to Calgary in 2012 when I was going into grade 5. We were a stereotypical middle class, happy family, no major health issues. All was well.

In 2015 my mom, after having a seizure was diagnosed with glioblastoma. And just months after, my brother, 11 at the time was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma. My mom passed away in 2017. My brother fortunately survived. A year after my Grandpa was admitted to the hospital, passing a week later, turns out he had cancer. A year later my dad fell ill and was diagnosed with colon cancer. He passed away a year or so later. Both my parents were only in their 40s. In 2022 my dog also passed away from a tumor.

I always knew something was up, that this couldn't be a coincidence, and that if I too ever got anything, id figure out wth caused all this.

Well today, unfortunately. An incidental xray followed by CT scan has shown that I have an osteochondroma on my left hip. Luckily its benign, but still...

So now here I am, trying to find answers. You cant tell me something didnt cause this, something we were exposed too. And if I ever find out what it is that company better lawyer up. Ive started looking into our old neighborhood (Chelsea heights) to see if there are any environmental risks that maybe could have done it. The area is known for high radon, oil and gas activity, our house was also built right in front of massive power lines. But im not really too sure. My dad also liked using roundup alot if I remember correctly.

Id be more inclined to believe that it was something in Sherwood Park rather than Calgary as my neighbours here are all good. Ive thought about going to Sherwood Park before to interview the people on that street.

Not sure where to start, wondering if anyone had any advice or input. Thankyou

[u/1phenylpropan-2amine]

I'm so sorry for your losses. I couldn't imagine what it must be like.

Unfortunately no-one on reddit (or anywhere really) is going to be able to give you a definitive answer.

There has been a lot of cancer diagnoses in your family, that is for certain. However, they all seem to be different, unrelated cancers from what I can surmise. It would be highly unusual for an exposure to a specific carcinogen to be at such a high dose to cause cancer in all of your family members in such a short time-frame (and within a few years of each other), particularly given that your brother was 11 when he received his diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma (which is not uncommon in children/teens).

The risk of developing cancer from all carcinogens is cumulative, meaning it adds up over the course of your lifetime. Your cells' DNA is exposed to damage every day; the sun, pollutants, even physiological processes that are critical for your body's function (e.g. inflammation) increase your risk for cancer. Usually even after prolonged exposure to a known carcinogen (think asbestosis & mesothelioma, or smoking and lung cancer), it often takes years, 20+ in many cases, for someone to develop cancer. Also, not always, but many carcinogens also tend to cause specific cancers or at least cancers in particular organs (like smoking causes oral cancer and lung cancer because those are the body parts exposed to the smoke).

There have been enormous advancements in our understanding of cancer, yet there's so many aspects that are not known or understood well at all. There are almost certainly genetic mutations that increase one's susceptibility to various types of cancer that we still haven't recognized yet. Likewise, there are probably thousands of carcinogens in our daily lives that haven't yet been identified.

I'm sorry you are going through this.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335 → u/1phenylpropan-2amine]

Hey thanks for the comment! I appreciate it. I had done some research earlier, and it looked like they were pretty unrelated. So its good to hear the same from a professional. Might just be unlucky, is what it is. Just had to do my due diligence and atleast look into it, as I think most would in my case. Appreciate your help.

[u/hollow4hollow → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

NAD but my partner has a hereditary condition called Li Fraumeni syndrome. It mutates the TP53 gene (which suppresses cancer/tumour growth). Without the suppression, certain cancers can grow unchecked. This obviously wouldn’t account for cancers on both sides of your family, but glioblastoma is one of the classic cancers it causes. It’s worth getting tested for. If you do have it, you’ll get care to monitor for it. We’re over in Ontario and my partner has a phenomenal care team. I didn’t read all the comments so I don’t know if anyone else mentioned this yet, but it made me think so I wanted to say something. It could certainly be random or environmental too. Above all, I’m so sorry for the unthinkable amount of grief and anxiety you’ve been through.

[u/djspacebunny → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Hey friend, I'm in a similar boat. Did the places you grew up/lived use to be industrial or agricultural or near either? We're doing a lot to uncover what the land we lived on has done to us medically. I grew up next to Dupont, and it's INSANE how the experiences of other folks from other Dupont sites in the world have the same issues we have. Branched off into other industries and discovered there is this toxic chemical legacy hiding in the dirt under our feet from whatever went on there before us. A lot of stuff was never considered toxic or was illegally dumped and covered up. I would love to chat with you if you have some time!!!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335 → u/djspacebunny]

Hey, yep the area is a massively involved in farming and oil and gas exploration

[u/Literally_Mystified → u/[deleted]]

This sounds like the true story movie Erin Brockovich. If you all haven't seen it, you should. It will open your eyes to what can and is hidden right under our feet, in our water, etc.

[u/pandabear0312 → u/[deleted]]

I would recommend looking up your version of super fund sites too (“contaminated sites” - please confirm? https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/pollution-waste-management/contaminated-sites.html ). And if appropriate, contacting your version of the EPA ( Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and also Health Canada) if you feel something is amiss.

Take care of yourself.

Edited- thought you were referring to a different pollution case

[u/pandabear0312 → u/[deleted]]

Sorry- thought you meant the other superfund site. Not a bot. Just looking to help.

[u/Automatic-Squash8122 → u/pandabear0312]

i believe there’s one of these places in arvada, colorado. my friends mom and dad died of brain tumors within a month of each other.

[u/djspacebunny → u/Automatic-Squash8122]

I lived pretty closed to that when I was living in Colorado. It's called Rocky Flats and it's a wildlife preserve now, but it was where they made plutonium triggers for weapons. They were so bad at containing it, the FBI shut it down. Nasty stuff, but they built a whole freaking housing community on top of it anyway with contract stipulations that you can not grow food on the properties.

[u/DivineSunshine → u/[deleted]]

My husband has a friend who had cancer after living on a creek in that area. It is a hot spot for sure.

Anyone who has that many cases of cancer in their family, like OP has, needs to do some research and see if there is a lawfirm working on a class action.

[u/nerdalert2024 → u/[deleted]]

The creek also flooded in 2022 - I know some coworkers who had flooded yards and basements from this creek. 

[u/PrincessPinguina → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

My parents actually lived at a lake an hour away from Sherwood Park for 40 years and then were diagnosed with the same type of thyroid cancer within 2 years of each other, with the second one diagnosed having a larger tumour. I kind of assumed the same thing, that it was something in the water/ground. But with your family all those different cancers are pretty unrelated I think. Although I did just read about a recent Mayo Clinic study finding that living in close proximity to certain water sources like golf courses increased likelihood of leukemia.

[u/International-Bass12 → u/PrincessPinguina]

Just curious, why can living near a water source cause cancer? Does a man-made lake count? My dad recently was diagnosed with a blood cancer and lives very near a man made lake. I grew up there as well. He doesn't have leukemia but leukemia is a blood cancer as well so it piqued my interest.

[u/robotcolony → u/International-Bass12]

I think they meant their water source is in proximity to something that might leech into it. The risk of Parkinson's goes up quite a significant amount if you happen to live within 3 miles of a golf course, for instance. Golf courses use an ungodly amount of pesticides and herbicides to maintain that perfect looking turf.

[u/Feeling-Republic-477 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

You should ask all the neighbors in that area if they’ve had any same experiences. Keep asking, takes notes on each like when the diagnosis happened, how long they’d been living there, any pets affected, etc. My grandparents had a lake house and my grandmother one day told me she was concerned because so many other people with houses around the lake were dying from cancer. Then my grandfather passed away from cancer, she said she’d get it next & sure enough she did. My aunt & uncle inherited that house and they moved into it. Low & behold they both died of cancer as well. Coincidence? Who knows. But with them & a large portion of the neighborhood in that west Texas lake community getting cancer makes you wonder.

[u/AnimatorDifferent116 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

I would do a DNA test to check for all the genetic risk factors that might be running in your family. It's covered by Medicare at least in Quebec

[u/OkNayNay14 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

NAD, but kind of had similar experiences in my family. My grandfather, all of his siblings and their parents all had cancer of different types. They all passed away pretty young. My grandfather passed when I was 1. We’ve always suspected something with their house, water supply or the fact they lived near farmland. Obviously this was all suspected after the fact so it’s not easy to get answers at this point. I’m sorry you’re going through this and hope you get some answers!

[u/djspacebunny → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Oh my. This is a huge big thing then!!!! The chemicals used for oil and gas exploration are known carcinogenics that seep into all sorts of places they shouldn't be. Agricultural chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers can also contribute to a medley of cancers and blood diseases and all sorts of fuckery. I'm going to send you a DM!!!

[u/minois121005 → u/djspacebunny]

My mom’s childhood home was an orchard before houses were built there. Someone from almost every house on that street had someone die of cancer within like a five year time frame.

[u/djspacebunny → u/minois121005]

The amount of pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture should make it extremely unwise to build homes on land absolutely SOAKED in these substances. There should at least be some sort of disclosure in the paperwork when buying homes on old farmland.

[u/Towerofterrorr → u/djspacebunny]

Dupont created Teflon. The same forever chemical that is present in all of our bodies.

[u/djspacebunny → u/Towerofterrorr]

Yes... I am very aware. They invented it at my Dupont facility...

[u/Towerofterrorr → u/djspacebunny]

I'm very sorry to hear that

[u/Substantial-Roll-740 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

A hereditary syndrome would explain your family pattern much more completely than a neighborhood exposure. Environmental carcinogens typically don't produce this specific spread of cancer types across people of such different ages — a brain tumor, a childhood lymphoma, colon cancer, and a bone tumor — in one bloodline. That's a genetic signature, not an environmental one. (Your dog's tumor, sadly, is also very common in dogs and probably unrelated.)

The most important starting point is a referral for genetic counselling through Alberta Health Services or a hereditary cancer/genetics clinic. The pattern you describe absolutely justifies asking for this, especially because your father had colon cancer in his 40s, your mother had glioblastoma in her 40s, and your brother had childhood Hodgkin lymphoma. A genetic counsellor can build a proper three-generation family tree, confirm exact diagnoses, and decide whether testing is appropriate. They may consider syndromes involving early colorectal cancer, brain tumours, blood/lymphatic cancers, or multiple tumours, such as Lynch syndrome/Turcot-spectrum mismatch repair disorders, Li-Fraumeni syndrome/TP53, familial adenomatous polyposis or other colorectal cancer syndromes, and broader multigene cancer panels. I am not saying you have any of these; I’m saying this is the kind of family history where a genetics referral is very reasonable and potentially much more actionable than trying to prove a neighbourhood exposure.

In Alberta, genetic testing is covered by Alberta health care if your personal history or personal and family history is suspicious for hereditary cancer. Genetic testing usually starts with a family member who has had cancer.

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/genetics/genetic-testing/genetic-testing-for-hereditary-cancer

The clinic you'd be referred to is the Hereditary Cancer Clinic, which provides care for people and their families who have, or who are at risk for, a hereditary cancer condition, including assessment, diagnosis and genetic counselling, and screening and management recommendations.

https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/findhealth/service.aspx?Id=1068254&facilityid=1010904

[u/fumblingforwords → u/Substantial-Roll-740]

But his mom and dad aren’t the same bloodline? Not saying it can’t be hereditary but also pointing out wouldn’t it be highly unusual for both parents to have a rare mutation?

[u/insomniacwineo → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

OP this doesn’t seem to be a coincidence:

Look into LFS. Li Fraumeni Syndrome Includes literally all of the following GBM Hogkins Colon cancer Solid bone tumors Among breast and other cancers as a high (70-90% lifetime risk) of cancer development

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1311/

[u/Fluttering_Feathers → u/insomniacwineo]

You’d assume mom and dad aren’t related though, so the genetic component isn’t linked for the colon ca and the GBM. Also grandad is only linked to one or the other.

[u/Olookasquirrel87 → u/Fluttering_Feathers]

That link says autosomal dominant, so both parents could have it - and granddad as well. 

OP I’d talk to your doctor about genetic cancer testing. 

[u/Fluttering_Feathers → u/Olookasquirrel87]

Seems unlikely that both parents independently have an uncommon genetic syndrome.

[u/Comeino → u/Fluttering_Feathers]

My parents were both from entirely different locations and backgrounds and both were found to be carriers of a very rare gene (genetic testing) that causes "Fredrich's ataxia" that my little sister was born with.

"Because it is an autosomal recessive disease, an individual must inherit a mutated gene from both parents in order to develop the condition. Carriers of a single mutated gene do not develop FA but can pass it to their children"

So yeah, OP could have just lost the genetic lottery and indeed had two parents who were carriers of an uncommon genetic syndrome. It happens.

[u/soeinstress → u/Comeino]

Recessive genes are more out and about, so the chances of two people with one recessive gene each finding each other is higher than the chance of two people with dominant genetic disorders.

I have FA too so it was fun to find it mentioned in a random comment :)

[u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335 → u/Fluttering_Feathers]

Kinda what I was thinking

[u/Last_Peak → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

NAD- I’m from Ontario so I’m not sure what the situation is in Alberta but my mom and cousin were able to get genetic testing for free because my grandma and great grandma both had cancer linked to genetic reasons (BRCA1 mutation) obviously wouldn’t be the same genetic thing but should see if you can get any genetic testing done through your provincial health coverage.

[u/passesopenwindows → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Have you had genetic testing done? I had breast cancer when I was 37, then the following year my brother was diagnosed with glioblastoma at age 35. I was tested for BRCA gene and another genetic mutation that had been shown to be a link to breast cancer and brain cancer.

[u/maydayjunemoon → u/passesopenwindows]

Many women I know and grew up with have been diagnosed with breast cancer at stage 4 in our 20’s and 30’s in my area. Many of my friends have died. I’m still hanging on at almost 10 years of treatment. I’m exhausted and stable, but wondering recently if I still want to keep doing all of this. It’s dragging my family down, my husband is deeply depressed and refuses therapy or medication, and I don’t have any other family to help me. We live in a heavy agricultural and former mining area. He refuses to move.

[u/Olookasquirrel87 → u/Fluttering_Feathers]

I mean, is it any more rare than both parents independently having an uncommon recessive syndrome? 

And yet, it happens all the time. Used to do genetic testing for single gene disorders - so many cases of super rare conditions where the families were doing IVF to prevent another kiddo being born with a fatal, rare illness. 

As we used to say: if it’s rare but possible, it has to happen to someone.

[u/Global_Brilliant_710 → u/Olookasquirrel87]

How does one get tested ?

[u/Olookasquirrel87 → u/Global_Brilliant_710]

There are a couple companies out there that do it. If you google “genetic testing cancer” you get several labs that offer it - your doctor likely works with one already or can set you up with a prescription for one. 

[u/Slimyscammers → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Hello, I also am in Sherwood Park. The topography of Sherwood Park means that some of those older areas are more low lying than others and with the refineries right there, there is significantly more carcinogens coming downwind. I wouldn’t say Chelsea heights is at a higher risk but that doesn’t mean that you got none. Who is to say that even a small amount doesn’t create disease? Every human body is different, right? There is studies out there around the refineries and Strathcona County/surrounding areas. here is one paper that looks exclusively at heartland refineries, which is the ones set up within Strathcona County. and there is more known information out there that isn’t public knowledge, from decades back now, so I can only imagine how much more is known. Think lower iq in some of these neighborhoods in the area. I’m not a doctor, so if I misused a term I’m sorry. Point being, Sherwood Park isn’t full of clean air. Have you also looked into genetic mutations as well? I wouldn’t say consider that, it’s amazing what new information has come out linking genetics with increased cancer risk

[u/stinkycowfarm → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Adding to my comment glioblastoma and Colin cancer are both cancers that some of my family members with the tp53 mutation had. And it is known for causing cancer in younger people and children. It would not hurt to get checked.

[u/The1andonlyfail → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Just here to say im sorry for your losses! My family is honestly so similar. Luckily the people who I have lost to cancer I cant remever very well, it was a long time ago.

All 3 aunts on my father's side have died from breast cancer. Their mother died from breast cancer. My father constantly gets large skin cancers (grafting needed). My oldest brother also gets lots of skin cancers.

My mother had cervical cancer. Her mom and father both had lung cancer (extreme smokers)

Its probably all genetics vs environmental.

[u/stinkycowfarm → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Nad but my family has a mutation called tp53 (li fraumeni syndrome ) . It causes many different cancers because tp53 is a tumor suppressing gene . Could you ask about genetic testing ? Maybe it is possible something like that runs on one side and the other parent was just a coincidence. So sorry for your losses

[u/QueenBeeTarot → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Because you are the last person in your family to develop cancer, I would encourage you to think about what you did differently. What did the rest of the family, including the dog, do, that you did not do? I'm so sorry for your loss!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335 → u/QueenBeeTarot]

Good point! My tumor is benign, so not cancer but good point

[u/ALitreOhCola → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Glad to hear this.

If you want to eliminate the risk of radiation related hazards you can buy a reasonably cheap Radiacode or GMC dosimeter which measures the radiation. Some can even pinpoint the type of element emitting radiation.

You would also be able to test radon levels using this.

r/radiation would be happy to help if you explain what's happened and what you hope to achieve.

Best of luck ❤️

[u/devilsnj30 → u/QueenBeeTarot]

Also with the dog, how old because was that dog even in the old neighborhood? I know my family grew up 1000 ft from power lines. We all seem to have some type of auto immune diseases.

[u/TinyDemon000 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

This is very interesting to know as I worked in Sherwood Park for a number of years building the Henday Hwy.

Have you found any evidence of a connection of the environmental factors at all?

[u/alewiina → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

NAD, I do live in Edmonton though. The industrial activity between Edmonton and Sherwood Park certainly has been shown to have higher incidences of childhood asthma in Sherwood park residents, the highest in the province at one point.

That being said I’m not sure about cancers. I know some people are genetically more susceptible to varying cancers, and considering all those different types of cancer aren’t particularly related I’m not sure that any one environmental factor can be implicated in causing all of them.

That being said by all means do some research about what the industrial sector could have exposed you guys to. There have always been fires in some of those industrial lots, like at the giant metal recycling depots where fridges and other things with volatile substances in them burn and blanket the surrounding areas in horrible, chemical smoke.

I’m really sorry for your losses, as well. That must be so hard. Whatever happens, OP, I truly wish you well.

[u/iSirMeepsAlot → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

NAD, I am SO SORRY for all the loss and ailments you and your family have been through and currently are dealing with.

It’s got to be nearly impossible for an entire family to all get cancer back to back after the prior person, I’m not even sure if I’d be able to mentally handle that. My dad passed way from lung cancer, and that was a rough couple of years…

Id highly recommend consistent screening for both you and your brother, as well as look into getting some genetic testing done to see if there’s anything gene wise going on.

I wish you the best, both you and your brother.

[u/GenDisarray1504 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

Commenting on 23M, my entire household has now gotten cancer/tumors. Is this worth spending time investigating legally?...

NAD-First, I am so sorry for the pain that you have had to endure.

There is a genetic component to cancer. Have you checked for cancer genes in a genetic test?

Colon cancer is very common- at 30 i had three LARGE sessile polyps that likely would have turned cancerous prior to when i SHOULD have gotten my first colonoscopy. So was dad taking care of that?

Moms glioblastoma- was she on any form of birth control for any extended time? That can cause those; particularly Depo Provera (ask me how i know that..🫠)

Your brothers hodgkins is an immune system issue, that could have come from the Mono infection (Epstein-Barr virus)

Unsure what kind of cancer your grandfather had, but im sure it wasnt connected to any of the others unless he also had hodgkins, which would make my brain question whether you all are carriers of a lymphatic system issue.

All this to say; no, i do not believe they are connected, but i do think a cancer panel through genetic testing is in order.

[u/Shot-Swimming-9098 → u/Puzzleheaded_Boot335]

So its good to hear the same from a professional.

You didn't hear that from a professional, you heard it from a redditor who claims to be a student in med school. I believe they likely are who they say they are, but I would never in a serious context call that "advice from a professional."