Hi Coco,
Sorry you are having to deal with this. You don't say where you are in terms of treatment, but its a lot to think about when you are dealing with a recent cancer diagnosis.
I have had breast cancer in both breasts. I saw genetics after I finished treatment for my first breast cancer and the second breast cancer (in the other breast) was found when I had mastecomies. It was not visible on scans so I have been told it may have been there at the time of my first diagnosis.
Firstly, dont feel rushed into anything and dont panic about the appointment. Genetic testing is a process and it can be slow, and they will go at your pace. I was thought to be low risk based on my family history but I inherited the brca1 mutation from my father. If you have triple negative breast cancer and you are under 40, then you have a 20 per cent chance of having a brac1 mutation - this is the threhsold for testing.
Everyone is different. Some people, like roxy - and me- feel that information is power. But my sister does not want testing. It is very individual. Having a mutation increases your risk of ovarian cancer so can mean you can have them removed to remove this risk. It also means other family members can choose to be tested (if you were to have a gene fault). Genetic faults are rare, I think its something like 1 in 400 people and only 5 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer will have a mutation.
As we knew I had a fault when my second breast cancer was found, this determined the type of chemo I was offered as research was showing this particular regimen was more successful.
Take things at your own pace. Its a lot to manage. The Helpline is a brilliant way of chatting through the whole thing.
Good luck, Rattles x
