Investigations for high risk. What to expect?

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Hello everyone,

My first post here! Its been a trying time so I was wondering if anyone could help. I am waiting for an appointment with my GP but didn’t want to take up valuable time.

I’ll give you a brief summary. Lost my materal grandmother, mother and a sister (aged 26) to breast cancer, father to lymphoma (not sure if relevant). I am 30 years old. Last year, I found a lump, which they decided to remove due to history, and it came back with columar cell changes with atypia.

 

Found another lump in the same breast this year. Again they decided to remove it. The histology shows the same. 

The consultant wants to see me again in 6 months but mentioned that they may want to keep a closer eye on me. What will happen in 6 months? Scans? MRIs? She mentioned that I may need annual MRIs and to bring the age of mammos to 35/40 instead of 50. If, for instance, I don’t find any symptoms myself, will I then be discharged? 

 

Unfortuantly, she only looked at the histology report as we were finishing so I kind of went from being discharged back to my GP… to further investigations (for life, it seems) without a chance for any questions!

Thanks for reading Smiley Happy 

 

Kelly 

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Hi Kelly,

First of all so sorry to hear about your family’s history with cancer.

I have seen here that it is usual for women with strong family histories of bc to have close monitoring, but it sounds like you haven’t had a clear explanation about it all.

Has anything been said to you about genetic testing?

It might be an idea to post in the ‘ask our nurses’ board as well.

ann x

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Hi Kelly. I was put on the early screening programme due to my family history (sister, 2 aunts, 2 nans, grandad and great aunt,  thankfully all survived), this year when I was 42. I went to see a nurse initially who examined me (and reported back that ‘everything felt entirely normal’ then arranged for a mamogramme.  My mamogramme picked up a tumour.  My sister was diagnosed last year,  she was genetically tested but was negative for the brac2 gene. I was given a genetics form by the nurse, which I hadn’t sent off by the time I was diagnosed.  I haven’t got past the first mamogramme as it were, but I hope this helps as bit!