Hi, I was told in January that I carry the BRCA1 gene and was in the process of looking at preventative surgery when I found a lump on my armpit. I am 41, my mum was 27 when she got breast cancer.
I had core biopsies and have been told they are over 90% sure it’s cancer and I receive the full results and treatment plan on Monday.
I am gutted that the cancer got to me first.
I have been googling about developing cancer whilst having the BRCA1 gene and I’m concerned as the relapse and survival rates seem to be higher.I’m so scared, worried as it’s already in my lymph nodes.Can anyone offer any insight into this? Or has anyone been in my position?
Hi Foxy2104,
I am sorry to hear you are going through this difficult time. I am sure some of our users will be along to offer their support and you may want to take a look at our page on Breast Cancer Genes.
In the meantime please do call our helpline at 0808 800 6000 who will be able to offer you a friendly ear and help answer some of the questions you might have about your diagnosis. If you want to ask one of our nurses a question you can also email them through our Email Our Nurses service.
Best wishes,
Lizzy
Hi Foxy, I’m so sorry you’ve found this lump, and if it is cancer I hope you now have a clearer picture of your diagnosis. I didnt find out I carried a faulty BRCA2 gene until I was nearly finished my cancer treatment. I was pretty gutted too. Cancer treatment for BRCA + is the same as for non carriers, and your cancer treatment is the most important thing right now. I went on to have my risk-reducing surgeries, because they will protect against new cancers in the future. Mastectomies wont protect me against recurrence of the cancer I had, but as time goes by I hear about more and more women who are surviving NED (No Evidence of Disease). I found a lot of reliable BRCA information on facingourrisk.org (FORCE). I hope this helps. Wishing you all the best xx