Should i be worried that I might have cancer?

Question

I'm 18 and cancer runs in my family. I have thick italian hair but I've never had problems with it falling out but recently for the past couple weeks it has been. I do smoke and i have for years as bad as that sounds. i smoke about 1 pack in a half a day. Should i go to the doctors?

Answer 1

Cancer does not cause hair loss. The hair loss that some cancer patients experience is caused by their treatment - most, though not all, chemotherapy regimes cause hair loss or thinning.

Cancer that 'runs in families' is rare; fewer than 10% of cancer cases are due to hereditary factors.

If several members of your family (all on the same side) have had the same type of cancer, it's possible there is a hereditary factor. If they have had a number of different cancers, there isn't and you are not at increased risk.

You would only know that a type of cancer ran in your family if a faulty cancer causing gene had been identified - this is rare. For example, only 5-10% of breast cancer cases are due to the faulty genes responsible for hereditary breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. And even where one of those two  genes does run in the family, you would only be at increased risk if one of your parents had inherited it (a 50% chance if one of THEIR parents carried it); you would, in your turn, have a 50% chance of inheriting it. If your parent hadn't inherited it, then there would be no possibility of you inheriting it, and you would not be at increased risk of breast cancer.

You are putting yourself at increased risk of a number of different diseases by smoking - but you already know that.

Answer 2

First of all, for anyone to diagnose lung cancer on this site, in an 18 year old with a relatively short smoking history shows that randoms can say whatever they want.  It's highly unlikely, and the cancerous effects of smoking are years in the future.  That being said, smoking is a terrible habit not just for cancer but for other lung diseases, heart disease, etc.

Losing hair is a multifactorial thing and rarely cancer, and usually when recieving chemo not before diagnosis.  Hair loss may be heriditary and certainly 18 is young enough to lose hair.  Other causes may be secondary to medications, secondary to a stressful event, even a stressful event 2-3 months prior.  Diet can also affect hair growth.  If you're concerned see your doc or a dermatologist

Answer 3

yes because you might have lung cancer

Answer 4

I wouldn't jump the gun and think cancer off the bat..but go see a doc and cut back or stop the smoking.asap