Hi All
Was wondering if any of you could help.
I’ve recently had to have scans/biospy for a lump found in my right breast and at the results they told me that they think it’s a fibroadenoma that may disperse on it’s own but that they now have found thickening tissue in my left breast. The upshot of all this is that they want me to wait 3 months then go back and get more scans/biopsies now on both breasts again.
The reason for needing info is that I’m wondering if I should be genetically tested and how do I go about this. My sister died when she was only 29 from BC and I’m pretty sure that my paternal grandmother had ovarian cancer. But other than that I can’t check my family history because both my grandmothers were adopted.
Can anyone advise?
Jacqui
Hi jacqui
I am so sorry you have had the stress of discovering a lump after loosing your sister to cancer!
I think you can be tested if you have 2 or more close relatives that have had bc before the age of 50. Has your grandmother died? They may have some of your sister’s blood on file to test. I am not entirely sure if they would test if there was just your sister that got cancer before age 50? What age did your Grandma get cancer?
I would speak to your GP or contact the genetics department of your hospital. It does sound like Brac1 or 2 but can just be coincidence.
I am 33 and last year my sister died of cancer age 35. My Aunt died of Ovarian cancer by 50. Nottingham genetics contacted me as research and my sister had her bloods tested and tested positive for brac1 after she had died in july last year. I got tested and discovered in sept that i too was brac1. It has been passed down from my dad.
I spoke with a surgeon and breastcare nurse 3 weeks later and decided to have preventative surgery. I had a double mastectomy dec31st with tissue expanders and will be having my implants put in in july. It is a huge relief to have taken action and the results so far are great. I will also be having my ovaries removed after completing my family by age 40 but it is a small price to pay for helping protect against this horrific disease!
Best of luck and let me know how you get on
Katie xxx
Hi Katie
Thanks for your comments.
I’m sorry to hear that your are brac1 but you sound so positive about what you are doing to minimise your chances of developing bc and oc, you sound very like a very brave person.
I’m not sure what age my grandma was when she got cancer but I know she survived it because she didn’t die until she was 79 and then it wasnt from cancer. By the way I come from Northern Ireland but now live in West Yorkshire. My sister died at home in Northern Ireland so I’m not sure if there is still any blood to test for genetics or how I could get some. When she died all the girls in my family including my mum where offered mammograms and genetic testing if we wanted. Because I was living in West Yorkshire I didn’t go for the testing, but another one of my sisters did. Unfortunately at that time (i think it was 1998) the funding in Northern Ireland was then frozen for genetic testing and my sister never got the results.
I didn’t really think about this again until recently when I had to go for scans/biopsy. Now I’m wondering where I should as my consultant if I should do the genetic test when I go back in August for more tests.
Jacqui