Getting info from relatives

It would be very helpful. I had ovarian cancer & a short while later was diagnosed with LCIS. My dad's mom died of colorectal cancer & his sister has had it too. He has had some pretty agressively growing polyps & I had a couple on my first colonoscopy before age 50. My counselor really wished that records were still available for my aunt & grandmother. She has even suggested testing the polyps the next time my dad has a colonoscopy. Having records would help them know specifically what types their cancers were. Perhaps they are considering what genes to test for. They tested me fo CHEK2 & PTEN before they did BRCA on me

I was told by my genetics counselor that they like to have the official cause of death because, especially 50-100 years ago, any cancers of reproductive organs were sometimes thought to be unmentionable. So 'legends' grew up that women who actually died of ovarian cancer really had 'stomach cancer'. My grandmother had breast cancer, and I was told as a child I was never to say the words 'breast cancer' or 'cancer' to her. At the time, breast cancer was thought to be a death sentence, and though she lived some 25 years after her breast cancer and died of an unrelated cause. Breast cancer was not supposed to be talked about.

I can see how these legends get passed on. One very distant relative, probably in my great-grandmother's or great-great-grandmother's generation, was 'institutionalized because she had heart problems'. I later found out she really had emotional/mental problems; she had a 'broken heart'.

Hello I am going through the same thing. My brother was just diagnosised with melanoma,I think think that some genetic testing is in order but my aunt is the only one that knows. How far do you press someone for the info, My mom is no with it so this is it. thanks stef58