Three primary cancers, is it unusual?

[WellThisIsStupid]

I was thinking about my dad.

He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2018 (his dad also had bladder cancer).

Whilst undergoing a scan for the bladder, it was discovered, incidentally, that he had kidney cancer.

The two cancers were unrelated, both were primary. The bladder cancer was pretty easy to treat and never recurred, the kidney cancer was more difficult.

Dad had to take some drug (not chemotherapy, can't remember the name though), which made him feel very sick.

He had a clear scan, so the drug seemed to be working.

He became more and more unwell, so had another scan, where they discovered he had pancreatic cancer. This was tested and was another primary cancer. His kidney cancer was still in remission.

The oncologist advised he stop the kidney cancer drug, as it was making him so unwell and that the pancreatic was more aggressive.

He underwent another scan so surgeons could decide what to do about his pancreatic cancer.

This led to doing nothing, as the scan revealed that in the very short time of stopping the kidney cancer drug, it had spread and metalized to his lungs, spine and brain.

He died a couple of months later.

I'm just wondering how unusual it is to have three different primary cancers? The kidney and pancreatic in particular.

I guess he was genetically prone to the bladder cancer, as his dad had it, but is there a genetic link that makes it more likely for multiple primary cancers?

I would guess very unusual indeed!

From what I understand, each cancer requires multiple random mutations.

But there are genetic susceptibilities to related cancers (e.g BRCA1 and BRCA2 deletions) and a lot of cancer treatments make you more susceptible to later new cancers.

Your poor Dad. So sorry for you.

Thank you both, it was a pretty hellish time

I have 2 primary cancers which I thought was bad enough. I can't say that I've heard of anyone having 3

How old was he? If he was very old more likely just bad luck.
Was he a smoker? Smoking increases the risk of all those cancers.

So sorry about your Dad. I had 3 different cancers but all in the same breast of the same type. All hormone driven.

Normally when you hear of people with widespread cancer it's stage 4. There was a lovely lady on here who had breast cancer at 41 and it came back as pancreatic at 60 and she sadly died. Obviously as you age it becomes more common to get cancers. Sometimes the scans and treatments carry a small risk of another cancer like the Tamoxifen I take doubles the risk of womb cancer after 5 years. It's hard to know sometimes, I had no risk factors at all though several men in my family have died very young but no obvious link.

There are some rare syndromes which can result in multiple tumours, particularly of the endocrine glands (such as the pancreas). He may have unfortunately had one of these. Would it be possible for you to speak to his oncologist for further clarification?

I think some of this depends on how old he was- if not very then there might be a genetic component. If I were you, I'd book a GP appointment and chat it through with them. I'm so sorry about your dad

OP@WellThisIsStupid it is apparently more common for patients with pancreatic cancer to have a multiple primary cancer history, with relatives more likely to develop solid tumours , suggesting there could well be a genetic component …..worth checking family history out with your relatives and perhaps considering looking into genetic research options? Other primary cancers can be down to side effects of cancer treatment itself but obv. lifestyle/ environmental risk factors eg. Obesity, smoking, alcohol , predispose to general cancer risk. However a genetic influence sounds possible if his dad also had bladder cancer…..not everyone survives one or even 2 primary cancer diagnoses so you wouldn’t always pick up on the genetic factors.

My mother in law had kidney cancer in 2000. They removed the kidney, no need for any further treatment. Then in 2010, she had breast cancer, had her breast removed and took medication, no need for chemo. Then in 2018, she had pancreatic cancer. It was inoperable and terminal. All three cancers were primary. She is the only person in her family to have had cancer, not her two sisters or parents. Just unlucky. So sad.

My mum had 2 totally unrelated breast cancers, different types, different breasts, 10 years apart. 20 years later she developed acute leukaemia. I don't kinow how she is still here. Talk about a cat and 9 lives....They do think the leukaemia could have been caused by the treatment for the breast cancers years earlier as the type of leumaemia she had is usually seen in children.

My mother had 3 primary unrelated cancers. Uterine cancer in her early 60s treated with hysterectomy and radiotherapy. Stage 3 melanoma in her early 70s treated with an axillary clearance, and breast cancer aged 80 treated with mastectomy and radiotherapy. She died of heart failure ultimately aged 84 but it may have been exacerbated by the radiotherapy to her left chest wall.

There are some genetic traits that make people more susceptible to multiple cancers. I had bowel cancer this year (treated via surgery) and analysis of the tumour suggested that I might have something called Lynch syndrome. People with this have a predisposition to developing certain forms of cancer, one of which is womb cancer, which it's now been confirmed I also have.

Hoping I don't get a hat-trick though....

I'm sorry about your Dad.

My mother has had two primary cancers, bowel and lung cancer (at the beginning and end of her fifties). Incredibly she survived both, but now at 84 is very frail with kidney and heart failure.

I don't think it's that uncommon.

were they 100% sure that the kidney and bladder cancer were unrelated? Seems unusual as they are in the same area so relatively ease for the cancer spreading.

my late father had both of these, heavy smoker and drinker. Started off benign growths in the bladder, in time they became cancerous. And then spread up the urethra and into the kidney. One kidney first. He needed to have laser ablations of the bladder often. He had that kidney removed and then stopped going to his follow up appointments, spread up the urethra causing a blockage. I’m not sure if that makes it both primary cancers. He had transitional cell carcinoma.

i know certain chemos can increase subsequent cancer risk I don’t know if that applies to pancreatic

I don't think it's common but better diagnostic techniques and histology analysis means we can identify things now we couldn't even 10 years ago. There's also a possibility that your dad and grandfather have a genetic mutation that is yet to be identified that makes them susceptible, it's definitely worth investigating if you can speak to a genetic cancer expert

My mum has had three primary cancers over the past 20ish years. All unrelated, she was tested for genetic links. Bad luck. But also good luck as all were successfully treated.

If you see your GP, they will organise a genetics referral if they think you need one.

I think it is possible to have an error in a molecule that checks your DNA when your cells divide, which would lead to high risk for multiple cancers.

I’m sorry to read about your dad. How awful.

I know a little about bladder cancer as my DM had it. Transitional cell carcinoma is the most common form of bladder cancer in the UK and it’s also possible to get transitional cell carcinoma of the kidneys. And apparently, if you’ve already had TCC in one site you’re at greater risk of getting another primary TCC elsewhere in the urinary tract.

That said, there are other more common forms of kidney cancer and I don’t know if these are linked to bladder cancer.

I'm sorry for your loss. If he was very old, it's not that unusual.

My dad had 2 primary cancers. Bowel and prostate.

Prostate not unusual at his age but it was the bowel that killed him

I have never heard of 3 primary but possibly just really shitty luck. So sorry OP

My dad had exactly the same

My mum has cancer in her liver lungs and bowel , unfortunately no treatment 💔

Hi OP, I’m sorry for your loss. My dad died of bladder cancer last year. In googling about it I learned that kidney cancer and bladder cancer can co-occur, as someone said up thread. I don’t know much more than that but there is a connection.