Anyone exposed to secondhand cig smoke in childhood/adolescence?

Both of my parents were chain smokers, and I assume my mother smoked while expecting me. I am the youngest of four, nobody else has/had cancer. After my father had his first heart attack he switched to pipe smoking, at the doctor's suggestion. He died when I was 18 of heart disease. My mother continued chain smoking into my adulthood. Iwas actually scolded as a child for blowing away the smoke that wafted in my direction. I never smoked ( I am repulsed by it) nor have my siblings. In addition, my father-in-law smoked for the first 10 years that I knew him, so I was around that smoke on a weekly basis. I was post-menopausal when diagnosed at 52.

exbrnxgrl, I agree with you. Our generation (I'm two years older than you) was surrounded by secondhand smoke. I'm not sure I knew anyone who didn't have a smoker in their house. My mom smoked during her pregnancies, and she told me they let her smoke in the labor room! I remember walking by the teachers' lounge at school, and when the door opened you could barely see in for all the smoke.

My Dad smoked so I was exposed from birth through high school. I hated his smoking and never smoked. I wondered about this connection so I think it is a good thought, I also believe that if there is a connection we should see a drop in breast cancer diagnosis in the next generation since there are much less smokers in the world now. 

macb04,

I just wanted to respond that yes, I was always around secondhand smoke as a child, and I had exercise and allergy induced asthma. We would go to my grandmothers all the time and my mom and grandmom and all my aunts smoked like crazy. I was always getting bronchitis and yes, I was always on antibiotics it seemed. My mom quit smoking years ago, but I would get bronchitis it seemed like every three-months. I don't want to jinx it, but I have not even had a bad cold since chemo...even my exercise and allergy induced asthma has significantly disappeared. So perhaps my chronic bronchitis was due to my immune system fighting cancer....

My parents both smoked in their younger years, especially in the car, and I still remember how nauseating it was in the back seat with all that smoke. I also cocktail waitressed as first jobs in two different ski areas, and one was a very smoky environment.

Deanna,

The nauseating smoke of cigarette smoke in a car, on a hot summer day and fumes from leaded gas. What a vivid but dreadful memory

I cannot say that my parents smoked around us, but for years I was exposed to it thru jobs, and working Bingo, in restaurants etc,until they recently banned smoking in public places. My moms sister was a 3 pack a day smoker, and I know I was around her a lot, I am 64, and it really wasn't till about 7 years ago that they banned smoking. My grandfather smoked and I was around him for 20 years growing up. 1951 thru 1970. I did love the smell of my fathers cigars that he occasionally smoked, till 1970 when he diedog heart attack.

my dad smoked during most of my childhood. I've never smoked. Got bc at35.

Both parents smoked for much of my childhood. My father quit when I was in elementary school, but my mother smoked until a week before she died from breast cancer which metastasized to her stomach (57 yrs old). My father lived to be 98 and died from a head injury after a fall. Other than breast cancer, our whole family was pretty healthy. I have multiple awards (as do my siblings) for perfect attendance throughout my school years. I come from a generation that glorified smoking. I smoked for ten years (16 - 26) until my fiancé (husband) said he would not marry me until I quit. He was not a smoker and had allergies and asthma and did not want to be subjected to second hand smoke.

My brother (63) is healthy as a horse, smoked for part of his young adult years and was a heavy drinker, but is smoke and alcohol free now (30 years clean and sober). My sister (57) never smoked, drank or used illegal drugs, lived a very fit and clean life, but was diagnosed at 50 with DCIS. I was diagnosed at 55. All of my genetic testing came back negative, but the geneticist believes there is a genetic link that has yet to be identified.

I believe that my generation was exposed to multiple carcinogenic substances, including smoking, that along with genetic predisposition, contribute to a variety of cancers.

Both of my parents smoked. Each of their fathers (but neither mother) smoked. All of their siblings smoked. So each of my grandmothers were surrounded by second hand smoke their entire lives and neither developed cancer and both lived into their 90s. My mother smoked while pregnant. My brother and I never smoked. Smoking was allowed at work, in restaurants, in trains and planes for a good part of my life so plenty of exposure there as well. My father quit cold turkey after his first heart attack in 1985 but my mother continued to smoke until she got legionnaire's disease in 2007. She was able to quit after a jump start of cold turkey from the hospital intubation. She hasn't smoked since 2007. Both of my parents are still alive. Mom is 76 and Dad will be 81 in Oct. My dad had prostate cancer 10 years ago (treated with radiation) and now has Esophageal cancer (chemo and rads and heading into surgery in less than 2 weeks). So far my mother and brother remain cancer free. So hard to make the correlation. Too many other factors to consider. But I think it is still worth noting.

My dad smoked 4 packs a day around me. Our walls were yellow. I started at 15, even sat with my dad and we smoked together. I finally kicked the habit at 28. :-(

hi all. This may not be a suitable question. Im 5 months pregnant 1st time age 39 almost 40' however I have smoked since 16 years old and read everywhere that smoking before first pregnancy is 65% risk factor. Im extra worried because I'm a lot older when pregnant first time. I woukd lije to hear sime of your comments. I don't sleep and every day its all I think about and worried that it's eating me so much I cant enjoy life. Thank you x

Both of my parents smoked around me when I was very young. My mother quit before I was a teenager, but unfortunately my father continued to smoke the whole time I lived with him. I also had many ear infections and tonsillitis on a continuous basis throughout my childhood. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at about 52 years old. I do have a family history of breast cancer. My paternal aunt was diagnosed with ILC in October of 2015 and my diagnosis was in February of 2016. Another paternal aunt and a paternal cousin have also been diagnosed with breast cancer and have had recurrences. I breast fed all three of my children as well. A doctor was telling my daughter (at an appointment I went to with her) that breast feeding reduces your risk of breast cancer, her reply to the doctor was "not all the time." She looked at me while saying it. I did smoke for awhile. I quit and now can not stand the smell of cigarettes and I agree with you that they are nothing more than death sticks.