Well, they are two different types of cancers really.
They are cancer of the white blood cells, but react differently and are treated differently with a different prognosis- Non Hodgkins having a poorer prognosis as a rule.
Does it make a difference to your children's chances?
You need to apply some logic to it. A distant family member died of cancer, well you would find it hard to find anyone who hasn't lost a family member to cancer.
I know that in my family a couple of children died of brain tumours and we are going way back here. No one I know in my family has had a brain tumour diagnosis since my mum was born.
Neither cancers are genetic
Some people inherit DNA mutations from a parent that increase their risk for some types of cancer. But non-Hodgkin lymphoma is not one of the cancer types often caused by these inherited mutations. In other words, there’s no increased risk of lymphoma in the children of patients with lymphoma.
DNA changes related to non-Hodgkin lymphoma are usually acquired after birth, rather than being inherited. Acquired changes may result from exposure to radiation, cancer-causing chemicals, or infections, but often these changes occur for no apparent reason. They seem to happen more often as we age, and lymphomas for the most part are a cancer of older people.
www.cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkinlymphoma/detailedguide/non-hodgkin-lymphoma-what-causes
That's before we even get to the part where it is a distant relative and not a parent.
So if I'm not worried about my children dying from it when their dad did then logically you shouldn't be worrying that your children will die from it because a distant relative did.
Now I know anxiety doesn't work on logic, but you need to look for the evidence to support your fears, is there any? No, but there is evidence that disproves your fears, meaning it is 'just' anxiety.
Please get some CBT if you haven't already. I have health anxiety BTW.
