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?

There is quite a lot of evidence that our immune system may combat cancer quite often and we never get to know about it.

In a case where our immune system drops, it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that these cancers will develop in variety I guess.

DH has lost both kidneys to renal cell cancer. He has also had a thyroidectomy as a result of a primary thyroid cancer (papillary), He has spread in his chest although that hasn't moved for five years and he has undergone radiotherapy in January for spread (presumed to be renal) to the stem of his pituitary.

We are told that renal cell tends to be unresponsive to radiotherapy so we are holding our breath. The plan B is for him to have a craniotomy and have it removed but renal cell c is very fragile, especially when in the head so they are reluctant to touch it unless he has run out of all other options.

When I learned he had spread to his chest, I researched and put him on two types of Chinese medicine specifically for spread RCC in the chest and I'm sure it has stopped the lesions growing.

I'm sorry for your loss OP. Watching someone fight and lose the battle is hell.

My mum had three different primary cancers. Different types in each breast and then a third one in her lungs. When they then started doing more tests they found it in her bones and brain, and asked if we wanted to find out if they were primary ones as well.

Mum was in lots of pain so didn’t want any further tests so for us there was no discussion to be had. She passed away 6 days later, just 24 days from the first tests.

My friends dad had Hodgkin's and non-hodgkins lymphoma simultaneously and then myeloma.

Doctors couldn't believe 3 primary cancers and assumed he worked in the nuclear industry. (He didn't).