AN patient - Was your father exposured to toxic chemicals before your conception

[kippy6]

My father worked in Radioactive disposal for a duration of about 12 months. He was last employed with the company approx. 1 year before my conception. He worked with the disposing of low-level radioactive waste in doctors offices. Apparently, the syringes they used back then had certain medications that could emit Radon gas. Also, he helped remove Cobalt on one occasion (I think this is the correct word). He wore a tag on his uniform, and if ever he got "too hot," the tag would indicate this. However, he said he was always within normal limits as far as he knows.


Recently ran across this bit of information below (online). Thought it was interesting...
Q. Do prenatal factors cause or influence the course of NF2?

A. There is evidence that exposure of the father to toxic chemicals before conception may increase the incidence of new cases of NF1 and other tumors. this has not been looked at for NF2. In utero exposures would not be expected to alter the probability that an infant would be born with NF2, but it is unknown if they may alter the course if the fetus was already affected with NF2.

 

[Charlotte Lady]

Whether Dad had exposure to toxic waste, I don't know.  I do know, however, he died at age 42 from an astrocytoma-a malignant brain tumor.  I can't help but wonder if there's some small connection between the two tumors - mine and his.  It could, and most likely is, coincidental but one does wonder at times.

Donna

[ppearl214]

Whether Dad had exposure to toxic waste, I don't know.  I do know, however, he died at age 42 from an astrocytoma-a malignant brain tumor.  I can't help but wonder if there's some small connection between the two tumors - mine and his.  It could, and most likely is, coincidental but one does wonder at times.

Donna

Donna, I am so sorry to hear about your dad... my sister passed at age 13 of a childhood astrocytoma, thus.... I understand.  We know that growing up in hour house, there was an unknown (until many years later) toxic dump site approx 1 mile from the house (there was an underground water stream that ran near the house) and many in our immediate neighborhood have suffered (besides our household, there were 3 neighbors with Lupus, one other brain tumor, numerous cancers, etc).  Has been discussed for investigation and unknown outcomes as of today.

Our family does feel there is a connection, but no concrete proof. Local politician (State Rep) actually involved in helping to head the investigation.

Phyl

[lori67]

My family is from NJ - which at one time was known as "Cancer Alley" (nice, huh?).  Over the years, they keep finding large areas of radon in the soil and dig it up, move it somewhere else, do whatever it is they do with it, but there seems to be a lot of it there.  Of the 4 houses on the street that I grew up on, we have had 5 people with cancer and two AN's.  That's a lot for the number of people in that small area, if you ask me.  Although there's no real proof of any of that being related, I'd have to say there's some relationship there.  We can't all have just been an unhealthy bunch of people all living one one street.

Thanks for sharing that information.  My husband is a nuclear engineer so who knows what he's been exposed to over the years.  Might not hurt to be a little extra vigilant with my kids and watch a little like a hawk for anything unusual.

Lori

[Static]

My Father died from an anurysm at 51 (I think there was a tumor also but they blamed it on an anurysm) and my Mom died 10 years later, also at age 51 from cancer.  I grew up in Philadelphia.  We used to go swimming in Jersey lakes, ALOT, so you never know, huh Lori!  It wasn't a long ride over the Tacony Palmyra to a nice lake for a cool dip, and we always had our Sunday School picnics at a lake that is now shut down.  Jersey was then and still is referred to as the dump because of all the landfills.  It's ashame, really, because of all the beautiful ocean front areas and other nice areas as well. 
~Karen

[yardtick]

This is kind of spooky.  The elementary school my sons attended was a very small school just around the corner from where I live.  The population was at one point less than 150 kids and that was J-K to gr 8.  There were 6 kids with cancer, two did pass away.  Now I know a few moms who have breast cancer and me with the facial neuroma. 

My neighborhood is below the Niagara Escarpment and there is a toxic dump directly on top.  About 10 yrs ago a farm was  sold, cleared and readied for a housing development but everything stopped because the land was "contaminated."  Meanwhile 10 yrs before that the 1st phase of the survey was built.  I live a 2 min car drive from the survey.  Three yrs ago the land that was "contaminated" was developed.  The land sat vacant, there was no soil treatment.   

There is a lot of water that runs down the escarpment and in fact a section of the dump that has been filled they made into soccer fields.  I refuse to get out of the van when I'd drop one of my sons of to play soccer,  I get the hee bee gee bees.  This has got me thinking.  This is definitely food for thought.

Anne Marie