how do you feel about the test that can tell you if you have the breast cancer gene?
Friday, September 4th, 2009 at
12:03 am
knockout asked:
alot of peple have mixed opinions of this test. I come from a family where breast cancer has hit a lot of close relatives, including my mother, and ive been debating whether to get the test or not. Please leave your opinions.
alot of peple have mixed opinions of this test. I come from a family where breast cancer has hit a lot of close relatives, including my mother, and ive been debating whether to get the test or not. Please leave your opinions.
Tagged with: Alot • Breast Cancer • Close Relatives
Filed under: Breast Cancer
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We all probably carry some kind of cancer gene. I don’t think carrying the gene means we are going to develop cancer and die. I wouldn’t get it done. I think it would cause too much stress. Everyday you’d be worrying about whether or not you have cancer, it would ruin your life, in my opinion.
I would get tested. The gene is passed down though so if you have a daughter it is very likely she could have the gene if you do. Also, it gives the doctors a heads up to do more extensive checks during your mammograms. Breast cancer has hit everyone in my family and getting checked is painless, so why not?
**I think you have a responsibility to get checked so you can let your family know if there is a chance they have it as well**
I think I would get tested, and if I had the gene I would consider a preventative mastectomy. But it’s very much a personal thing. You should consider what you will do if it is positive – if you can’t face the idea of a mastectomy, then it may not be worth having the test.
It’s also worth finding out whether you can receive mammograms regularly due to your family history. These are available to people with a ‘breast cancer gene’ in order to catch any tumours early, but might also be available to you without being tested for the gene.
And of course, be sure to check your breasts once a month for lumps – this is best done in the middle of your cycle, usually while in the shower or bath, as the water allows you to feel lumps more easily.
I have mixed feelings. Having the gene does not promise you will get cancer, and not having the gene does not promise you will never get it. I also have concerns about insurance issues if you test positive and that is left on your medical record. If you do get the test, have it done privatly, discretely and pay in cash.
Has your mother been tested? That would be the most appropriate course – to find out if her breast cancer was due to one of the two rare faulty genes known to be responsible for hereditary breast cancer, or whether it was random and non-hereditary like 90+% of breast cancer cases.
If your mother carries one of the faulty BRCA genes, you have a 50% chance of having inherited it. If she doesn’t, nor do you. If you inherited it, your chances of breast cancer would be 50 – 80%
If it turns out your mother’s breast cancer was hereditary – in your shoes I would get tested. There are of course arguments for and against.
The advantages would include knowing, if you test negative, that you probably have the same risk of breast cancer as the majority of the population.
If you test positive, then you have the opportunity to consider options such as prophylactic mastectomy, or taking Tamoxifen. You would know to be extra vigilant about your breast health.
The disadvantages would seem to be that if you tested positive you might suffer from anxiety; if you tested negative you could possibly have a false sense of security – two BCRA genes have been identified, but there may well be others.
But as I said – if one of my parents carried one of the faulty genes, I’d want to know if I did.
I think getting an expensive test for the sake of being tested is a waste of time and money. Only 5% of breast cancers are hereditary and if your mother’s oncologist thought hers may be one of them, they would have likely suggested she be tested as it is easier to test a person already diagnosed with cancer.
Simply having multiple family members with breast cancer is not an indication of a hereditary component. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and it accounts for 29% of all cancers combined. The biggest risk factor is aging; at 25 your risk is 1 in 19,608, by the time you are 75 it is 1 in 11. So, having multiple family members is not unusual.
If your family history includes two or more first or second degree relatives who were diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50, or if you have one first or second degree relative who had a bilateral breast cancer, had breast and ovarian cancer in the same woman or was a man with breast cancer then there may be a hereditary component and testing is indicated. If not, it is doubtful a doctor would recommend it.
I have a grandmother and two sisters who have succumbed to breast cancer and a mother who’s a 10 year survivor. I also have ovarian and prostate cancers in the family which increase my risk. My sisters were both diagnosed under age 30 and my mom under 50, again, increasing my risk.
I have, for now, chosen not to be tested for the BRCA genes. At a time when I decide about having children vs adoption, I may change my mind, but for now, I already know that my risk is tremendous whether I have a genetic link or not.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago at the age of 41. I decided to get the testing done. I had a mastectomy and decided if it came back positive, I would have the other breast removed. I also have teenage and preschool age daughters. I wanted to know if they were at an even greater risk. Although I was told we’re still considered high risk.
I had the test taken when I was diagnosed with BC at age 47. It was negative. I was happy to be able to tell my sisters and my daughter that just because I had BC it doesn’t mean that they are any more likely to get it. However, only 5% of all BC diagnoses are BRCA-related. Most breast cancers come out of nowhere – as did mine. Still, I’m glad I had the test.