interesting case study - my sister and me

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heiders33
Posts: 363
Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2017 11:08 am

interesting case study - my sister and me

Postby heiders33 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:03 pm

My sister pointed out today that we are an interesting case study. I am an identical triplet (three sisters) and have lived with one of my sisters for the last decade. We haven't done everything together, but we've essentially eaten the same diet and been on a similar exercise regime during all that time. I have no genetic mutations and am not Lynch positive. So it's hard to say what caused my rectal cancer, and it's interesting that I developed cancer and she did not. I wonder if we should submit ourselves to a major cancer center for a study?? Just kidding, but it IS an interesting observation. It just goes to show that ANYONE can get this beast.
40 year-old female
May 2017: Dx rectal cancer T3N2M0
MSS, KRAS G12D
6/17: 28 days chemorad
9/17: LAR/loop ileostomy, CAPOX six rounds
3/18: reversal
9/18: liver met, resection/HAI pump, 11 rounds 5FU, 1 round FUDR
11/19 - local recurrence, brachytherapy, 3 weeks targeted radiation
12/21 - end colostomy

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susie0915
Posts: 945
Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:17 am
Facebook Username: Susan DeGrazia Hostetter
Location: Michigan

Re: interesting case study - my sister and me

Postby susie0915 » Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:27 pm

This is very interesting. Cancer does seem to choose its victims randomly.
58 yrs old Dx @ 55
5/15 DX T3N0MO
6/15 5 wks chemo/rad
7/15 sigmoidoscopy/only scar tissue left
8/15 PET scan NED
9/15 LAR
0/24 nodes
10/15 blockage. surgery,early ileo rev, c-diff inf :(
12/15 6 rds of xelox
5/16 CT lung scarring/inflammation
9/16 clear colonoscopy
4/17 C 4mm lung nod
10/17 pel/abd CT NED
11/17 CEA<.5
1/18 CT/Lung no change in 4mm nodule
5/18 CEA<.5, CT pel/abd/lung NED
11/18 CEA .6
5/19 CT NED, CEA <.5
10/19 Clear colonscopy
11/19 CEA <.5

CAGirl
Posts: 59
Joined: Fri Aug 25, 2017 4:55 pm

Re: interesting case study - my sister and me

Postby CAGirl » Thu Dec 07, 2017 10:55 pm

Yup, interesting, indeed! I am an identical twin, and she is all clear (phew). Similar diet, same upbringing/exposures, etc. I got Crohn's Disease in 1997, and she never did. Doctors are not sure it was the cause of my cancer, but seems awfully likely.
Dx 2/2017, age 45, 2 kids: 6 yrs & 3 yrs
History of Crohn's disease - dx in 1997; in remission, thus no colonoscopy in over 10 years
Anemia dx 11/16: GI doc assured me "the likelihood of colon cancer" was "very low".
Stage 3C - T3N2b
8/64 lymph nodes; clear margins surgery 3/17
12 cycles of Folfox 4/17-9/17
3-month CT scan midway through chemo, no changes
2-3-mo CT scan post chemo 11/17 slightly larger lung nod (incr. from 7mm to 8 or 9mm)
CT scan 3/18 - NED
clear CT scan 1/2019 NED

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Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: interesting case study - my sister and me

Postby Atoq » Thu Dec 07, 2017 11:40 pm

I think most of the times is just bad luck, we have a lot of random mutations all the time in our body and they normally get repaired. But if it occurred exactly that mutation and was not detected by the immune system, then it can develop to cancer. So it might be a local change that occur by chance and not in all your DNA.

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

menreeq
Posts: 70
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:26 am

Re: interesting case study - my sister and me

Postby menreeq » Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:24 am

Not to say that Crohn's is the cause in your case specifically, but it is associated with higher risk of CRC. The risk is higher for ulcerative colitis.

My BFF of 30+ years has Crohn's but not cancer. I have no fam history of CRC and no history of inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's or UC), but I got cancer at 41.

I don't think we will ever know.
Stage IIA rectosigmoid CC (T3N0M0)
Dx 6/5/17 @age 41ls
Workup: c-scope, EUS, rectal MRI, CT C/A/P
AdenoCA 5.5cm, WHO Grade 2, 0/22 LN, no distant mets
CEA 1.9 (6/5/17), 0.8 (2/28/18), 1.0 (9/17/18), 1.1 (4/16/19), 1.0 (9/24/19), 1.7 (7/8/20)
No lymphovasc/perineural invasion, clear margins
MSI intact, OncotypeDx RS 7
Lap sig colectomy 6/23/17, no ileo/colostomy
Genetics neg for mutations, 4 VUS
Xeloda monotherapy 8/13/17-1/22/18
PET/CT 3/21/18 NED
CT C/A/P 9/17/18 NED, 3/8/19 NED, 9/19/19 NED, 5/13/20 NED


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