Am I High Risk and feeling scared

Hi Anglemom11:  Being Irish also, and after my genetic counselor suggested that she sees many many Irish decendant <sp> women (and men) with strong family history of bc I took the BRCA (my Dad who is /was from Ireland had bc).  Now it is likely this will come back negative, but it still should be done because of how much they know and how much they would suggest you do if you came back BRCA +.  That being said, medical science has only identified very few genes and so even if you test negative, your family history is strong.  If you go to a genetic counselor she/he will tally up all the risk in the family and show you a "map" of your risk.  That map was incredibly informative for me.  Since many of my family were in Ireland and in the last generation of Irish people they tended to not go to doc's unless absolutely necessary and so many of my own relatives might have died from different cancer those cancer's might have originated as bc and then gone on to be mets so they were never identified as bc.. so it's a good thing to check this out..

Now, your genetic counselor will also recommend a breast MRI and that is also imperative!  I had had my mammo's since the age of 35 (every other year) and nothing was found.  Then after speaking with the genetic counselor my primary care doc prescribed an MRI which found an "area of concern".  My bs didn't believe it so he did a sonagram, and another mamo and a digital mamo but it (DCIS earlierst stage of bc) showed ONLY on the breast MRI.

If you go to your GYN (and of course you should) even if you decide not to do the BRCA test ask if he/she can have a breast MRI set up for you and essentially you have done what would have been recommended by the genetic counselor even if you are BRCA negative..  Don't know if this confusses you more, but if so ask me a direct question and I'll try to answer it.. Best!

Angelmom,

The whole field of hereditary cancer is relatively new and your run of the mill oncologist won't really be familiar with it.  You can actually teach your oncologist that certified genetic counselors can help you navigate not only the maze of hereditary cancer, but also the insurance morass we face with having our tests covered. 

 You can find out more about hereditary BC and OvCa at www.facingourrisk.org.  The organization is called FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) and you won't find another place with more informed and compassionate support.

 All the best,

Caryn

I have a family history of bc my grandmother @62 my mother @42 my aunt @59. i just had a 2lumps removed 2wks ago.i had a lump in the right which i knew about found out about left breast day of surgery another lump was discovered deep under the nipple it was removed as well. Dr suggested i have the same test you're talking about. i'm going to have it done i need to know.i don't have a problem with getting rid of breast and ovaries.

Yulanda742003:  Please be very careful and try to see a therapist before you make any decisions about removing any piece of your body that may be healthy!  I really get concerned about anyone who makes blanket statements about "getting rid of breast and ovaries".. I'ts such a psychological change that none of us are really prepared for (at least a great deal of us).  I remember a conversation I had with my sister before I was dx'ed with DCIS and I made a similiar comment about if I came back positive for BRCA (I would have my breast tissue removed if I were BRCA +).. but DCIS was the dx and I was faced with a lumpectomy (with radiation - which I didn't want) or a mx..  If I was BRCA + I would most probably have mx and remove the ovaries, but now, kowing what I know, I don't think I would have the mx.  I would removed the cancer and then go into "watchful waiting" mode - being seen every 6-12 months with an MRI (and perhaps sonogram).. There were so many confussion by the doc's and myself and I could not have anticipated feeling so "lost" after the surgery.. I assumed I would go through a grief sort of process and then get back to my self, a new self but I had gone through surgeries before and yet this was so very different.. I don't know if I will ever be comfortable with the self that I am now (2 years later!)...  Although I covered many basis, studied up on BRCA and MRI's and mx and reconstruction, stats on recurrence, but I didn't do one piece that I think every women SHOULD do and I actually think it should be part of the treatment.. I wish I had gone to a counselor/therapist to talk to directly and without the input of other's in my life (who love me but still their information was tainted by that love) and really get all of my feelings out BEFORE any surgery.  I believe that could have made the difference with my acceptance and moving on and I don't want anyone to feel the way I do.. I know that you will do what you think is best and it will be your decision to make, I just want you to consider adding one more consult to the plan, a very important consult that I believe get left off the list..  Good luck and I hope everything turns out fine for you!!  Best

Hi angelmom --

 i doubt you are at high risk of BRCA mutation. That's armchair biology -- guessing !! -- but here's the reasoning:  Families with BRCA mutations tend to show early (premenopausal) bc, as well as ovarian cancer and prostate cancer and even breast cancer in men ... Neither your mother nor your sister fall into the early onset category, so unless the other cancers in your family are prostate, ovarian, etc, you don't really fit the profile. (You're also not Ashkenazi Jewish, right?)

Of course, with a mother and sister with bc, you are still at increased risk -- with or without BRCA mutation. But that's a far cry from the very high bc probability associated with BRCA.

If you can get to one, a genetic counselor can give you pretty good odds on whether you have a BRCA mutation, based on family history.  (The more info you have, the better!) In my case, with a sister and an aunt with bc, as well as a bunch of more distant relatives (great-aunts and their daughters), the counselor said i still had only a 1-2% chance of BRCA, and advised against testing (insurance doesn't pay when odds are that low). Also, she said that the best person to get tested is the family member who has BRCA --in your case, your mother or sister. After i was diagnosed my sister got tested: she still has her ovaries, and was worried about the ovarian cancer risk. She's negative, and i don't see any need to get tested -- everyone in my family was at least 50 when diagnosed, and my sister - who was the youngest of us at diagnosis - is genetically OK.