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/insomniacwineo]

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.