Dear Kevin, A friend recently asked me if I had a family history of bowel cancer. My parents died decades ago and I have no idea what from. I know my mother had cancer, but I don’t know what type it was. As for my father, aunts, uncles and grandparents, I wouldn’t have a clue about their health statuses. I have been told to get checked if I have a family history of certain conditions. Is there a simple way to find out this crucial background information?
That’s a really interesting question. We all assume family members know these things, but often they don’t. I had imagined the only way you could find out what someone died from was to track down their death certificate at Births, Deaths and Marriages. This still seems to be what to do if all else fails. When it comes to bowel cancer, the Ministry of Health referred me to the NZ Familial Gastrointestinal Cancer Registry – nzfgcr.co.nz. If you have any concerns about these types of cancers because of family history, go to this site and ask them for assistance. They will need certain information from you in order to assess your risk for free. Bowel cancer certainly has genetic links. You may also have some concerns about family heart issues. For these, I suggest you try the Heart Foundation – heartfoundation.org.nz. If all else fails, death certificates have a section called Cause of Death. You may need your GP’s help to translate the medical terms used there. Come to think of it, next time you visit your GP, ask him the question you’ve put to me to find out more.
Do you have a consumer question for Kevin? Email [email protected], or post to Weekly Consumer, PO Box 90119, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142.
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