indent in breast and High risk due to family HX

smaysings1

Hi! I recently found an indent in my breast. It's like someone pushed their thumb into the tissue and it left a dent there. Its half way in my areola and half on the breast tissue. it's on the left breast at about 5 o'clock. My gyno seemed worried and sent me to a BS. I have my first appointment this coming Friday.

history on my maternal side:

Grandmother: diagnosed in her 50's, bilateral MX, came back as bone cancer, she passed away in her late 60s

Aunt: diagnosed with brain cancer, they found it was secondary to undiagnosed breast cancer, she passed in her late 40s/early 50s

aunt: history of ovarian cancer. Then diagnosed with bone cancer, they found it was secondary to breast cancer. She passed in her 50s.

Cousin (only female cousin) breast cancer found while she was pregnant with her twins at 29. She had a lumpectomy with clean margins and has been NED for years. (obviously she paid closer attention and was diagnosed much earlier than my other family memebers.

My mother: was murdered at 40, she did not get regular health check ups and did not have an autopsy, so theres no way to know if she had/would get cancer.

smaysings1

Also, did insurance cover your BRCA testing? if not how much did it cost and how do I go about getting it done. My gyn really wants me to get it and I really don't know where to start?

jarris77

Smaysings, my insurance paid for my genetic testing. I think as long as you have a strong family history ( sounds like you have more than enough), they cover the testing. I just had mother and sister. Your doctor's office should precert with your insurance. When I met with the woman that does the testing, she pretty much knew which insurances would pay and what it takes to qualify.

Your bs will probably discuss all of this with you. My bs is the one that told me that I should be tested and even made the appointment for me. Mine came back negative for BRCA 1 & 2, but I was told that definitely doesn't mean that it's not genetic.

Wishing you the best on Friday.

smaysings1

thanks Jarris77! So, ill talk to the BS about it on Friday. I was doing some research on my insurance and it looks like they cover it if you fit certain criteria. Which I do fit so I'll ask where to go from there. I don't even know if I want to know!

vlnrph

You really need a referral to a genetic counselor (the person jarris describes as "the woman that does the testing" ?). They are usually trained at the master's degree level to help you understand the options & offer guidance in deciding what to do with the information that may be found.

There are many more known mutations leading to cancer than just BRCA 1/2. If results are from more than a year or two ago, it may be time to get updated and have a panel run.

For smaysings, should your cousin be open to the process, it is often advantageous to have a person with a diagnosis be the first to get looked at from an inherited disease standpoint. Had one of your unfortunate aunts also been her mother, that might be a key to unlocking your family history. There has certainly been enough drama among your relatives so I do hope your situation is boringly benign and you can be the one who did not get the defect!

jarris77

I'm assuming Smaysings BS will give her a referral to the genetic counselor if she needs one. When I was referred, they said, "We want you to go see --------, she's the woman that does our genetic testing." I wasn't given all of her qualifications and frankly, didn't need to know. She explained to me in detail that there were many more mutations other than BRCA 1 & 2.... which I stated, saying I was told that just because I wasn't positive for these, it doesn't mean that it's not genetic. It's pretty obvious that no matter how many mutations you are tested for and how many come back negative, it can still be genetic. 

Lotusconnie

I am thinking of you smaysings...