My brother Jim was diagnosed at the age of 23 with oral tongue cancer stages 3 and 4 in July of 1998 and unfortunately passed away July of 1999 at age 24.

My son Christopher was diagnosed at the age of 19 of the exact cancer that my brother had in 2001 and unfortunately passed away December 2002.

I was wondering if anybody out there has two family members that were diagnosed with this cancer.

The doctors told us it was just bad luck, but we find that hard to believe.

Debjoe,

I'm so sorry to hear about your double loss, and both at such a young age. The studies have shown that about half get this cancer because of smoking and heavy alcohol use, or HPV and the remainder had relatively healthy habits, but for whatever reason, this cancer hit them. It seems like a coincidence, but for them both to be so young is all the more sad. My sympathy to you and your family.

Regards,

Nancy

Thank you so much for your reply. We had asked a few of their doctors about the possibility of HPV but we were told that wasn't the cause. We don't know for sure and never will. I really wish I knew about this web site before it is wonderful that patients and their caregivers can talk to other people in this terrible situation.

I am so very sorry about the loss of your sister. It is so hard to watch them fight and suffer.

Take Care,

Debbie

Were they tobacco users?

What a shame at such young ages.

Deb, you have been thru some sad times in your life already. Geez, you sure have my sympathies and prayers. They never said what type of cancer mine was either, just that it was unique. I hope someday you find out then relay it to me.

No neither one of them smoked or chewed..

I was reading your message and looking at your brother's and son's ages and time frames and thinking what a rough time you have had.

Raymond1971 is a poster on this board who has traced back some other relatives that had oral cancer. He is the only other person I can think of. And, I don't think his relatives were as closely related as your son and brother.

I have never read anything to suggest that oral cancer had any hereditary links. I am so sorry you had to experience two losses to this awful cancer.

My heart goes out to you.

Debjoe:

I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Losing a child must be a truly awful thing. Its a tragedy having to lose two members of your family. They were both very young.

Doctors claim oral cancer isnt anything to do with heredity. I do not know of any studies that were done of this. In my family nobody had any type of cancer before.

This site is mainly full of patients and their caregivers. We are lucky enough to have 2 dentists that were oral cancer patients who stop in and help out. There are even a member who is in a research field that was a former patient also.

Please feel free to ask questions.

Hi debjoe,

My Name is Ray and I had tongue cancer, my grandmother had tongue cancer and her one nephew had OC while her other nephew had cancer somewhere in his neck (not positive on the location). None of us were smokers, chewers or heavy drinkers...

Sorry for the pain you had to endure...

debjoe, Not to sound like everyone else, but that is such a horrible thing to have to go through, and so young.. I'm so sorry. I know it's hard enough to have one person close to you go through it, but 2... I know they say is is not a heredity thing, but I hope you and others in your family get checked out regularly. Maybe it is something in the environment.. did you guys all live close together geographically? I don't know, just a thought.

Take care,
Rachael