I'm 17 years old and eleven months ago I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the core of my brian. The tumor was removed, but that's not what I'm curious about. I've been smoking cigarettes for about a year now and a few months ago I developed a cough. It doesn't sound like anything worse than a common cold cough and I dismissed it as nothing, but it hasn't gone away. It isn't a constant cough either.. one to three times a day i'll just cough out of nowhere, sometimes there is phlegm in the cough, but I've never examined it for any signs of blood. On top of the cough, I went to a grade school for 9 years which was very very old and falling apart in some ways. Supposedly the building carried asbestos and even though the risks of that are mainly in the demolition of a building....there were holes in the walls and many patches among the piping. In the past 2 years, 3 kids (myself included) who attended the school were diagnosed with some kind of cancer. I had a brain tumor, another had lymphoma, and the last one had something in his leg. Are the coughs normal or should I be concerned? Let me know
Something I forgot to add...a few months ago I lost 30 lbs in 3 weeks doing almost nothing. I went from 195 lbs. to 162 lbs. I've always had a fast metabolism but this striked me as a little extreme

The last 2 months have been a pain in the rear! I have had numerous tests done to see what this chronic swelling in the face and neck and the doc thought my lymphoma might be back- it was not. The swelling did not go away though. So, he decided to check the chest/lungs, stomach, kidneys, gall bladder, liver, and pancreas. Everything was fine except the lungs. The lungs showed 4 small nodules, but the oncologist was not too worried. Now I have a stabbing pain under my right rib cage and it feels like I'm itching from the inside out. Could this be more serious. Does this sound like lung cancer?

I quit smoking 3 years ago and I didn't smoke real often to begin with. I don't live with smoker and am not in close contact with any. I have never been exposed to asbestos. I just don't get it!

Carcinoma: malignant tumors derived from epithelial cells. This group represent the most common cancers, including the common forms of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer.
Lymphoma and Leukemia: malignant tumors derived from blood and bone marrow cells
Sarcoma: malignant tumors derived from connective tissue, or mesenchymal cells
Mesothelioma: tumors derived from the mesothelial cells lining the peritoneum and the pleura.
Glioma: tumors derived from brain cells
germ cell tumours: tumors derived from germ cells, normally found in the testicle and ovary
Choriocarcinoma: malignant tumors derived from the placenta

Live Long
Live STRONG

I lived in a college freshman dorm in 1995 and there were 36 girls on my floor (about 6 floors in the whole building). I have lost touch with most of them, but of those that I still keep in contact with, 4 have developed cancer. I am wondering if this qualifies as out of the ordinary, because it seems so to me! I have started wondering if there was some kind of hazardous material we were all exposed to in the dorm. The very next year the school demolished the building and rebuilt it, to modernize it. If it contained lead paint or asbestos, could either of these have contributed to the cancers? One woman developed brain tumors at age 22 and died at age 31. Another developed breast cancer at age 29 and she also died at age 31. The third developed eye cancer this year at age 32, lost that eye, and is stable. And the last one developed Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma this year at age 32, had chemo and radiation, and is stable. This is a grim list I know. Is it possible that this is just coincidence? It seems so unlikely for such a small group of young adults to have 4 severe cancers (that I know of). Any ideas why?

1.Which of the following best describes cancer?

A.When immune cells no longer function properly, cancer results.
B.Cancer is any disease for which there is no cure and no obvious infectious agent.
C.Cancer is cell division that gets out of control.
D.Cancer happens when certain cells, tissues, or organs begin to die without any obvious reason.
2.How are malignant tumors different from benign tumors?

A.Malignant tumors are not life threatening; benign tumors are life threatening.
B.Malignant tumors spread to other parts of the body; benign tumors do not spread.
C.Malignant tumors cannot be treated; benign tumors can be treated.
D.Malignant tumors do not invade other organs and tissues; benign tumors do invade other organs and tissues.
3.Which of the following statements about the causes of cancer is FALSE?

A.Most skin cancer is caused by exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays in sunlight.
B.Viruses can cause cancer.
C.Cancers caused by using tobacco do not usually cause death.
D.Asbestos is a type of carcinogen.
4.A cancer that directly affects the tissues that manufacture blood is

A.leukemia.
B.melanoma
C.lymphoma.
D.sarcoma
5.____________ can be used to help detect cancer.

A.MRIs
B.X-rays
C.Biopsies
D.All of the above
6.All of the following are ways to treat cancer EXCEPT

A.Antibiotics
B.Surgery
C.Chemotherapy
D.Radiation

The connection between asbestos and respiratory diseases is known but is there a connection to other diseases? My dad worked in a shipyard for forty years. His company violated OSHA guidelines for decades. Daddy developed asbestosis and emphysema. Wives of shipyard workers have above average rates of cancer. Mom had cervical cancer and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Is there a connection?