BRCA

[AprilBaby]

My mother died of breast cancer at 33 in 1964. No one else in the family ever had it so I’m pretty sure we don’t hAve the BRCA gene. If I did I would totally have a preventive mastectomy and avoid the mess she went thru.

 

[Slickk]

That's an interesting and much appreciated post @t-c Thank you for sharing that information. Having had a paternal aunt and grandmother pass away from ovarian cancer very young, I have been recommended for the BRCA testing but I have resisted.
Due to recurrent ovarian cysts and the fear of ovarian cancer, I had my ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed. I get mammos and ultrasounds every six months for the breasts. Having dense small breasts, it is not easy to see problems, and I have had multiple biopsies.
I will say, even my gyno said, "I have an 'impressive' history of cancer in my family," to my chagrin. I thought that was very insensitive. I've lost many a family member to various cancers so I do feel like a ticking time bomb either way.
But I am happy I had the ovaries/tubes removed, except for the immediate surgical menopause it sent me into As I was a little young for full-on menopause, I take HRT to ease some of the symptoms.
Back to the subject at hand, I would recommend the testing if it helps you make thoughtful decisions. For me, I think I'll just keep up regularly with the screening.
Anyone who discounts your concerns is no friend! Be well all!

 

[Gabbycat]

@Sandeek, I just want to help clarify that from a medical standpoint the word "impressive" in the phrase "impressive history" means impactful or imposing. In other words, there was enough history there to make an impression on your physician-- enough of one that it must be taken into consideration for current or future diagnosis or treatment. Although I was admittedly not there myself to hear the intonation during the usage of the word, my bet would be that your gyno was not making light of the cancer within the family but rather voicing that there was enough history to be concerned. I hope this helps.

 

[Slickk]

@Sandeek, I just want to help clarify that from a medical standpoint the word "impressive" in the phrase "impressive history" means impactful or imposing. In other words, there was enough history there to make an impression on your physician-- enough of one that it must be taken into consideration for current or future diagnosis or treatment. Although I was admittedly not there myself to hear the intonation during the usage of the word, my bet would be that your gyno was not making light of the cancer within the family but rather voicing that there was enough history to be concerned. I hope this helps.

Thank you. And you are right. He even prefaced that to say "if it wasn't so (I can't recall the exact word) terrible, I must say, you have an impressive history of cancer in your family..."
I think the reason that I thought it was insensitive is because he knows I recently lost both of my parents to two different cancers, six weeks apart. And neither would have been detected with BRCA testing I believe. I know I have this history (have known for years) and it definitely struck a raw nerve. But I do see your point...and his unfortunately.

 

[Gabbycat]

I am so sorry for your losses and your own struggles with this truly awful disease. I look forward to they day when cancer is a thing of the past. Well wishes to you and everyone else dealing with this.

 

[Jambalaya]

Thanks, everyone.

And thanks, t-c. Yes, I knew that the risk of bc is never zero, for anyone. I was surprised to learn that breast cells are scattered all over your abdomen, including above the collarbone. But surgery drastically reduces the risk.

I have a question for those who have been tested for the BRCA genes: How did you cope with the whole testing and results process? I'm really scared. Although I will attend my genetics counseling appointment, I don't think I'm ready for the actual blood test. It's many months away, though. When I think about the possibility of getting a positive result, I feel a deep sense of rising panic. It's not use telling me simply not to worry - my family history is deleterious, and I can read my possible future in the past that's written in the death certificates I received. When I saw that my gg grandma died of it, the fourth generation to do so, my heart started beating against my ribcage like an anvil, and I had to take an anti-anxiety pill. I guess you could say I'm not ready for the blood test. However, some close female family members are also getting tested, so I will hear their results. If they are positive, it will seem more possible for me. Gulp.

How did others cope with their fears around this topic? I would be very interested to hear.

I read about one woman who said her counselor framed it that she has the same body she always had, she's just learning more about it. For some reason, this does not help me.

 

[Jambalaya]

t-c - you said that effective screening for breast cancer is available...that depends on the individual. MRIs can't see entirely through the densest breasts. Mine are 90% dense and the MRI report always says that the test was compromised by the density.

Also, double mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer to approx 5%, and I'm pretty sure the BSO doesn't confer that kind of breast-cancer risk reduction. It also depends what age you have your BSO. And even more depends where on the chromosome your BRCA mutation is located. Some locations are worse than others. Looking at my own family tree, I have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Every woman directly before me, as far back as I can go. Gulp.

I never, ever thought I'd find a family history like that.

Still not sure I could actually go through with it, though.

 

[Matata]

When I think about the possibility of getting a positive result, I feel a deep sense of rising panic. It's not use telling me simply not to worry - my family history is deleterious, and I can read my possible future in the past that's written in the death certificates I received.

What are your acceptable options? No test = get cancer, get treated. What are the survival odds after diagnosis and surgery?
Get tested, get a positive result, have surgery and reduce your risk to 5%.
Get tested, get negative result, breathe easier.

I understand facing the loss of one or both breasts is daunting as is the prospect that you might develop cancer. There is no easy way around it. You have to decide how you want to live and whether you want to increase or decrease your odds of living. Knowledge is power.

 

[Jambalaya]

Thanks for replying, Matata. I appreciate it. As a very young person I suffered from very bad anxiety, and as I've matured and dealt with life's various curveballs, it's 99% gone away. I haven't felt significant anxiety for about 17 years. However, the thought of these test results threatens to reactivate the way I felt when I was young.

Since my breasts are 90% dense, there is no test that can pick it up when it's early, necessarily. Dense tissue plus mutations (if I have it) can also produce aggressive cancers. An acqaintance had a tumour that was only 1cm, but she died within three years even with excellent treatment, it was so aggressive. Also, survival rates for all the women before me are zero, even the one who died in recent years with excellent care.

I've read a lot about mastectomies with reconstruction (for me, I wouldn't want to go flat) and it just sounds so awkward and uncomfortable.

But then, I have to weigh that against the experience of cancer, and what I saw my relatives go through. Preventative treatment is not as bad as that. And when I go to the cancer center for my annual tests, I see people who look very sick. I should probably focus on the endgame - avoiding that situation - shouldn't I?

It is, of course, possible that I didn't inherit the family gene. But since it's highly transmissible, I need to work on a worst-case scenario basis in order to prepare myself.

 

[Queenie60]

One thing to remember - Breast Cancer is not a death Sentence. Treatment is available and there are many good treatments. And also remember, everyone's cancer is different. You'll be fine.

 

[Matata]

I need to work on a worst-case scenario basis in order to prepare myself.

I hope there are support groups near you that you can join. Being embraced by people who have been there, done that, and are doing it is good for the soul and may give you added emotional strength.

 

[minousbijoux]

I hope there are support groups near you that you can join. Being embraced by people who have been there, done that, and are doing it is good for the soul and may give you added emotional strength.

Brilliant!

 

[Calliecake]

@Jambalaya i'm so sorry you are dealing with this and can tell it is making you very anxious. I'm going to say something and I don't want you in any way to think I'm being insensitive. If you are having regular screenings and do them as often as your doctor feels they are necessary (taking your history in to account) I don't know if I would have the test if I were you. Bear with me here.

One of the first things my GP asked me was what I planned to do if I found out I tested positive? She pointed out that I see an gynecologal oncologist yearly, get yearly ultrasounds, mammograms, CA125 tests. She made the comment that I am already being cautious. Given the fact that I get extremely anxious when dealing with health issues, she asked if it would make me more anxious if I wasn't going to have the surgeries. It absolutely would have made it worse for me if I knew I had the gene and I had decided I wasn't going to have the surgeries. I would have been a wreck every damn day. It was a fairly easy decision for me to have the test because I already was prepared to have the surgeries if I tested positive.

I'm still an absolute wreck the week before my appointments and tests and while I wait for results. I don't have the gene and I still worry because of my family history. You are the only one who knows if you could deal well with having the results and them being positive.

You may want to sit and discuss your options with your doctor before having the test, especially if you are extremely anxious. Your doctor may advise against you having the test If you know you won't have the surgeries if you test positive. You have to consider your mind as well.

Does this make sense to you?

 

[Calliecake]

@Jambalaya I apologize for writing a book here!

 

[Jambalaya]

Don't apologize, Callie - I'm hugely grateful for your advice. And thanks Matata, Queenie and Minou, too. Support group is a great idea. Queenie, it's true that cancer is not a death sentence for many. (And I know you made it through...so many yays!!)

The trouble is, you never know which one you're gonna be. Someone who makes it through, or someone who doesn't. And in my family so far, nobody has survived breast cancer. This is why I made the appt for the genetic counseling, even though I'm very scared. You can have the blood drawn the same day, although you don't have to.

Cancer and all that it implies in my family...versus sticking my head in the sand and being much happier. Gotta find a way to square that circle.

As others have said, you have to have a plan. Even without the testing, I'm getting mammos and MRIs once a year. If I decide just to do screening in any event, maybe there's no point having the test, if it wouldn't change anything.

The thing is, once you know, you can't un-know. And if it's positive, I'll walk around with that knowledge forever. I think it would be a lonely place to be, because I wouldn't want to tell many people. I wouldn't want to experience discrimination in the workplace, and I'd be very careful who I tell friends-wise because some people are real gossips and there's no such thing as a secret. I don't want to be the object of gossip - and I certainly wouldn't want people feeling sorry for me! Support group - yes, excellent plan.

Perhaps I just need some more time. The appt is months away, anyway.

 

[Calliecake]

@Jambalaya, If you have other questions that I can help you with, please just ask. If there is anything I can do help you, please let me know.

 

[Jambalaya]

My mother died of breast cancer at 33 in 1964. No one else in the family ever had it so I’m pretty sure we don’t hAve the BRCA gene. If I did I would totally have a preventive mastectomy and avoid the mess she went thru.

AprilBaby, I'm really sorry about your mother. That's so very young to die. I'm guessing you only had her for a very short while. That's very hard. HUGS xxx

 

[Jambalaya]

@Jambalaya, If you have other questions that I can help you with, please just ask. If there is anything I can do help you, please let me know.

Thanks Calliecake, that's really nice of you.

 

[t-c]

t-c - you said that effective screening for breast cancer is available...that depends on the individual. MRIs can't see entirely through the densest breasts. Mine are 90% dense and the MRI report always says that the test was compromised by the density.

Also, double mastectomy reduces the risk of breast cancer to approx 5%, and I'm pretty sure the BSO doesn't confer that kind of breast-cancer risk reduction. It also depends what age you have your BSO. And even more depends where on the chromosome your BRCA mutation is located. Some locations are worse than others. Looking at my own family tree, I have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Every woman directly before me, as far back as I can go. Gulp.

I never, ever thought I'd find a family history like that.

Still not sure I could actually go through with it, though.

@Jambalaya I think you are confusing MRI with mammograms. MRI has no problems with dense tissue; it just can’t go through metal.

BSO may not confer the same risk reduction for breast cancer as bilateral mastectomy, true, but that’s not what I’m saying. You seem to be very focused on breast cancer, but BRCA is also associated with increased risk of other cancers including ovarian cancer — which is hard to monitor, therefore tends to be caught late, hence has higher mortality rate. The recommendations focus on what will save lives, not just from breast cancer. So, based on studies and statistical calculations, doctors found that monitoring with mammogram + MRI and bilateral mastectomy are similar, and that one of this combined with BSO reduces deaths.

BSO is generally not recommended except for women who have given birth already, for obvious reasons: this surgery removes the option of becoming pregnant, not to mention the difficult symptoms of early menopause.

Also, you have some inaccuracies in you understanding of BRCA genes and mutations, but I’m not going to correct them right now because they’re mostly technical, and I don’t want to confuse the situation. However, I do suggest a wider and more careful reading of primary literature and not rely solely on interpreted articles or websites.

As for your previous question, I think how you deal with “unknowns” really depends on your personality. Not any of the reactions are wrong, per se, but some are more helpful than others. So it’s really important to know how the information will affect you and your psyche.

I’m a “I’ll worry about it when I have something to worrry about” type of person. When I found someone who had seen my illness before, he gave me 3 possibilities: two were near-term fatal and one serious but I had a good chance of living into middle or maybe even old age. So I said let’s run the test. My doc was surprised how “stoic” I was, but I thought why expend my energy worrying when I have so little energy in the first place. I was lucky and got the serious and not immediately fatal diagnosis. Now I am dealing with it; I’m stable with medication and my medical team. No big deal. My mother, on the other hand, freaked out. Both are legitimate reactions. We’re human. We react. In the end, we learn to live with what we are dealt.

 

[Allisonfaye]

If you want a lot of information and a huge community of women to discuss things with, go to breastcancer.org. There are women with every situation and many who are having prophylactic mastectomies. Tons of info on the BRCA gene. I didn't read through the entire thread but BRCA occurs at a higher rate in the Jewish population, just as an FYI.

If you want to see how insensitive people are, google 10 things not to say to a breast cancer patient. I think one of my friends alone said at least 7 of them to me. My exercise instructor told me the other day "I just HATE my hair. I think I am going to shave my head and get a wig'. You can't cure stupid. Don't worry about what others think. Do what's right for you.

 

[Jambalaya]

t-c - I promise you, I am not getting my mammograms and MRIs reports confused. Even MRIs cannot see through the densest breasts. There is NO test that can see completely through the densest of breasts. My mammos have about 40% sensitivity and my MRIs about 70%. The remaining 30% of the MRI view is obscured by my ridiculously dense tissue. Of course, unless you have breasts like mine, you wouldn't know that extremely dense tissue also obscures MRI to some extent.

Also, my direct line have all died of breast cancer, so yes, I'm focused on that. There are other cancers in the side lines. Perhaps my relatives had ovarian cancer, too - I wouldn't know. Old death certificates don't tell the whole story.

 

[Jambalaya]

Allison - thanks. I know of that site, and it's incredibly useful.

 

[LightBright]

I want to clarify some things: bilateral mastectomy does NOT guarantee that you will avoid breast cancer; it greatly reduces your chance of developing it, but not to zero.

In fact, the recommendations when a BRCA carrier is primarily to have bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy (BSO, removal of both ovaries and Fallopian tubes), then secondarily consider mastectomy or simply surveillance with mammogram plus MRI, which are calculated to be equally effective. Note that the recommendation is based on prospective studies showing that BSO is associated with decrease of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and all-cause mortality. The double-mastectomy is a secondary recommendation because effective screening for breast cancer is available, unlike with ovarian cancer.

As ever, talk to your doctor AND consult with a genetic counselor who will explain and help interpret your risk as a BRCA carrier.

In the case of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, even a “Stage I” cancer can metastasize, because it apparently behaves differently (cancer cells circulate through the bloodstream and the lymph/lymph nodes). So for those with a BRCA mutation, prophylactic mastectomy to avoid a TNBC makes a huge amount of sense to me. For most types of breast cancer, catching it early through screening carries a good prognosis. For TNBC, just waiting for your body to “get it” is very very risky.

 

[LightBright]

Jambalaya, im glad you started this thread.

I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer pre-menopause, when my children were ages 1 and three. I was nursing at the time. I won’t describe how my caregivers (three different physicians and a lactation consultant) dropped the ball on diagnosis for TEN months, even after I pointed out the very obvious tumor in my breast immediately.

I have always had very dense breasts. I had always had inconclusive mammograms. I had repeated biopsies on various problem spots. I knew intuitively that if something ever “happened”, it would be very difficult to recognize, because my breasts already exhibited so many problems and were, in a nutshell, opaque on a screening test. So, like I had always known, NO ONE, recognized it until it was very advanced. Stage three.

Believe me, if you have the genetic predisposition, prophylactic mastectomy is what I would recommend. You do not want to have to go through cancer treatment. You do not want to wait and see on that risk. F—- “monitoring”. It’s a joke, and it almost got me dead a year and a half ago. I had TNBC, which either responds pretty well to chemotherapy or it does not and you are in very big trouble. It is NOT the type of cancer where you can “just” cut out the tumor and the margins. You really DO have to do chemo, even for the early stages, and you very likely will do radiation.

If I had the BRCA gene I would unhesitatingly get a double prophylactic mastectomy, asap. I did a double mastectomy because of my cancer. One mastectomy on the diagnosed breast that also included 19 axillary lymph nodes and one prophylactic. I can tell you, honestly, that it was not that hard, and recovery from surgery was not bad. Radiation from cancer treatment is what causes destruction (pain, risk of secondary cancers, skin damage, stitches coming undone, heart and lung damage, etc.) of the breast and other areas. Just a prophylactic mastectomy, really, not that bad. This is my (biased) opinion.

I’ve never understood the fetishizing of female breasts in our culture to the point where women are getting cosmetically restored on the cancer surgery table, in addition to the cancer surgery itself, and in doing so they are risking infection and complications that definitely complicate and might delay their radiation. I’ve never understood why in a culture where so many women get cosmetic breast implants simply to look bigger, why the removal of breast tissue for a prophylactic mastectomy is so feared. It’s the same kind of surgery! Honestly, I feel like if women were removing breast tissue prophylactically more often, we could save women the situation that many of us are in. Breast cancer treatment costs $300,000 plus. It devastates bodies and lives. We need to get real about the value of “breasts”versus the value of “health and life”. I don’t believe in living in fear. For this reason I say, do away with the risk. In this day and age of amazing health care, there is no reason to hesitate. Again, my biased opinion.

And regarding family and friends who can’t understand... a breast cancer diagnosis will radically change how you view your ENTIRE WORLD. I just don’t give a sh-t about most things I cared about prior to diagnosis. My life will NEVER BE THE SAME, things I once took for granted don’t exist any more, and each day is a miracle and a blessing. I have no idea what my short term or long term future will bring. I am praying. I certainly don’t give two shits about someone who’s POV threatens my existence. If people don’t understand the concept of self preservation, I agree, just move on.

Blessings and prayers for eveyone’s Health.

PS I was tested and I don’t have BRCA, or any of the major genetic markers for breast cancer. That doesn’t mean anything is my case. There are millions of genes out there. I had an as yet undiscovered gene repair defect. I had an impeccable lifestyle (I mean, what a joke, impeccable) before cancer but that didn’t save me from getting cancer. This is why I came to the conclusion I shared with you above.

 

[ksinger]

Excellent post, LightBright. Spoken like only one who has actually been there, can speak. Yes, your world is changed, and no, you no longer give a flying rat's patootie for what other people may think. Hearing the word "cancer" applied to oneself, is generally enough to bring on a laser focus on only the stuff that truly matters. How you look under your clothes? Not generally on the list.

I mentioned my SIL above, but I did not mention another friend who showed up out of the blue with TNBC earlier this year. She was only stage II, which in a normal breast cancer, would be cause for relief and likely be rads only, but you know, nope. The whole enchilada for her. And then the worry. I don't think she has considered mastectomies, but then she has a few other health issues that might factor into that.

 

[Jambalaya]

LightBright, to say that your post is a breath of fresh air doesn't even begin to express what I felt when reading it. Thank you so, so much. Everything you say is what ricochets around in my head when friends and family tell me "Oh, it's not guaranteed...stop worrying your silly little head!" Because that's what everyone close says. Nobody think I should get the surgery, even if I'm BRACA positive. I'm thinking, "Really? A five-generation history and you don't think I should save myself? Do you want my money or something??"

I am so, so sorry that this happened to you. I am sure it DOES change you in a myriad of ways. It's completely unfair and it should not have happened. Big, big hugs to you.

Your email is a balm to my soul.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Jambalaya]

Ksinger - yes, it really takes someone who has been there, doesn't it?

 

[Jambalaya]

The week after I discovered my huge direct-line history, I had two people tell me to stop thinking about it so much.

I can only draw the conclusion that they don't much care about my life.

 

[Jambalaya]

I'm going away tomorrow to visit friends until after Thanksgiving, and I only have a dumbphone, so I'll be back on PS after the holiday.

Thank you so much to everyone.

 

[Phanie]

I know that at least two of us here are waiting for this testing, so I wanted to start a thread about it.

Phanie, good for you for fighting to get the test. Are you scared of the result? I am, but if it's positive I keep telling myself that it's a means of getting good care that I couldn't get before the test, even though I would still have the same risk as if I hadn't taken it. Part of me wants to bury my head in the sand and just trust to dumb luck and that feeling "it won't happen to me" which I could easily give in to, but rationally I know the sensible thing is to have the test. If it's positive, I think the knowledge will be hard to live with. However, being rational again, not testing doesn't make it go away if it's there, right?

Background: I have a huge family history of breast cancer going back many generations, plus other cancers in the side-relatives such as ovarian, and the whole picture strongly suggests BRCA. I just found out recently when I did my family history and sent away for my ancestors' death certificates.

I think, for me, the hardest part of all this would be other people's reactions. When AJ told the world about her situation, I was utterly appalled to see that people still criticized her for trying to save herself even though she had this incredibly powerful gene mutation that had killed her aunt, mother, and grandmother at young ages, giving her an 87% chance of getting it. How can anybody judge her in this way, given the facts of the situation? Brad Pitt's supposed friend, Melissa Etheridge, publicly condemned AJ's choice as "fearful" and then said it was all about what you eat. I think Melissa has currently survived breast cancer, but a) it can come back after many years, see Olivia Newton John and b) AJ's gene predisposes her to a very aggressive form of breast cancer which most people without the gene don't get. How could Melissa be so uninformed and so publicly cruel as to criticize a woman going through what AJ did, with AJ's genetic/family profile? People actually criticized her for attempting to avoid the experience of aggressive cancer, which was something of a family tradition for her.

I've already had a very negative reaction from a family-member-by-marriage which has resulted in the termination of our relationship. When she heard about the history of many generations, she said to "let go" and "move on" from my mother's death and she said, just after I'd told her about the family history - quote - "Please do not let this become an obsession."

Yeah, she actually condemned the process of trying to save my own life as a potential "obsession". I could have killed her.

And then she went on to blame the water in that area! These days we know all about genetics, and I had just told her my findings, and she said that those people all grew up in the same area and what else was going on there in the air/water, etc? Well, the latest victim - my mother - never lived in the same village as my ancestors and had moved hundred of miles away from that area fifty years before her death.

Despite clear presentation of the facts and despite the fact that we both speak English, she was completely unable to accept that the five generations of women directly before me dying of breast cancer meant a clear and present genetic problem. I felt she was totally minimizing the problem, and therefore didn't really care, and I was extremely hurt.

In prior years, when I "only" knew about my mother's and grandmother's cancers, all doctors that my family and I had seen said there was no problem. Friends weren't concerned, either. No one was, despite the two family members in the same line. Now, the first family member I told about the huge family history refused to believe it, like people refused to believe that AJ's life could be in any serious danger. It makes me wonder what it would take for some people to believe it. But probably there are some people who think you can beat powerful gene mutations with diet.

This is a taste of things to come. Seeing reactions to AJ and my relative's horribly cruel reaction makes me realize that the fewer people I tell about my situation, if the test is positive, the better. This means you have less support, of course. But people don't really understand about breast cancer, about what a relentless killer the genetic kinds can be - at least, it is in my family. I also read about a woman who mentioned her BRCA-positive status at work and the next thing she knew, people were coming up to her asking how she was, and she was passed over for a promotion that she was expecting to get. Lesson: Don't mention a thing to anyone at work!

I'm feeling pretty raw and I've felt disappointed at a friend who thinks I should just do screening if the test if positive. She knows that I have extremely dense breasts and that no machine can really see through them.

If someone I really cared about had an incredible family history plus a gene mutation, I'd really want them to have surgery so that they'd be safe. I can't imagine encouraging someone who's important to me, with that profile, to take a wait-and-see approach. To me, that sounds dangerously close to implying that they don't think you should avoid getting cancer, which means.....what? That the only acceptable reason to get rid of your breasts/ovaries is if they are already cancerous? You can probably imagine how hurtful this is. What is it about people's refusal to believe that someone's life could be in danger from a gene that's killed everyone before you? Is it good old-fashioned sexism?

As you can tell, I'm having an extremely hard time wrapping my head around some people's stupid reactions.

Phanie, when are your tests?

I just saw this thread.
Only read your first post Jambalaya. BTW thank you.
You just explained so clearly what I feel and how people can be utterly giant *******s when presented wih facts.

I am still fighting insurance for having it cover and for some stupid reason, until I get a nay or aye I CAN'T get the frickng test.
My situation is less dire as yours, as I have "only" three cases of verified family history.
Maternal cousin who had ovarian cancer at age 25 (I only learned of it years later in passing and because I am a RN...), a paternal cousin who died of uterine/ovarian cancer 2 years ago but got diagnosed at 39 ( I believe), my mother had a lumpectomy at the of 39 (I believe) and some suspicions of other females family members with breast lumps/cancer but spotty historians so I am not sure.
I want to know for sure for several reasons:
-.mammograms for me are not very conclusive (large dense breasts with some weird calcifications and spots),
-self exam are always coming with some lumps that are not necessary hormone dependant,
- as a young adult I had to have hormonal treatment for erratic menstruations and then later hornomal treatment for conceiving and of course the pill for several years, so my body has had more than your usual hormones crap in it and studies show that the types I got increase your cancer risks ()
-family history of lump/breast cancer and GYN cancers;
-I am a RN who works with a LOT of women who go through cancer surgery and reconstructive surgery (I work in PACU at UWMC in Seattle) and I have access to the top 3 surgeons in the field in my area (people travel to us from 5 states to get their difficult stuff taken care of).
I want to know early rather than later so I can explore options in how to manage my risks ( like if my risks are >75% I would certainly get a double mastectomy and TOH and BSO ASAP , I have young kids and no time to devote myself to a lengthy uncertain treatment , but if it is less I don't know how aggressive I would want to be). I love my breasts but not enough to sacrifice my life to them. Then will I do reconstruction and how (expander or DIEP or nothing)? Would I do skin sparing or just total ablation?
Not sure , the only sure thing is that those puppies will be gone if they are giving me a death sentence!

Jambalaya sending you love and support And to all the other women here wjo going through self discovery and diagnosis there is no wrong answer and decision, do what is best for YOU.
People can go eat a bag of rocks when they give their personnal opinion on what someone else should have done for their health and life ( you know as in re AJ's decision to get the cancer risks 86%+ out).