mom with ovarian, sister with breast cancer, am i doomed?

hmmmm..

 Have you been tested for the gene? It can happen that one  memeber of an immediate family to be "negative" while the other is "positive". they are also realizing that there maybe other genes involved......they just don't know what they are yet.

It's good that you are being preventive to avoid BC or Ovarian cancer, the thing is lots and lots of woman who were the picture of health got BC too. It's a crapshoot as we all here say.

I can understand your anxiety, the best thing to do is get screened and tell you doctor about your family history. Some woman go for prophylatic mastectomies or an oopherectomy (ovary removal) to lower their chances.

Very tough decision,but worth talking over with a professional.

~~* Good luck *~~

Mardiss,

I have BC, and my mom had OC, and I have four sisters.  None of my aunts (I have four) had either one, and so far, none of my sisters do.  I tested negative for BRCA.  My suggestion would be to get your mammos religiously (they're not always 100%), get an annual physical, and just stay on top of your health.  I agree with you not to run and start getting surgeries based on the info you have.  Best of luck to you.

Bobbie

Doomed? Mardissis, no, it shouldn't be 30 to 80%. Talk to a certified Genetic Counselor. Two things are possible.

 Either the two cancers in your family have a true genetic connection, but the mutation was of a rare type which could not be detected by the test they took (what exactly was the test? Not all of the test varieties are equally sensitive ). Then you have a 50% chance of inheriting the same unidentified mutation. It should translate to no more than 40% risk level. (And if your sis can follow up with a more thorough test, then you may still have a chance of sorting it out).

 Or maybe there isn't a high-risk gene involved at all ... either just a random chance, or maybe a low-risk gene involved. If that is the case, then you have even fewer reasons to worry. 

My genetic counselor explain that overall cancer is 10% genetic, 50% family historic, 40% environmental (lifestyle, food, smoking, chemical exposure,etc...).

My risks were 90% BC and 65% OC because I have BRCA1, because of the family history and because I smoked for 20 years and was sedentary. I was pretty much doomed. The decision was easy.

 Like others, I suggest you talk to a genetic counselor...that will help you make the decision.

my suggestion is to continue being tested. But don't do the surgery unless it is necessary. My family is high risk for cancer. I am one of 9 children. I have lost 1 sister, 1 father, 2 brothers (twins) to bone cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer and met of brain. My twin sister has been tested for the genetic mutant gene and we do carry it. Currently my twin sister was diagnosed with bc stage 3 in her right breast. she has just finished chemo and is being scheduled for surgery. I was diagnosed a week after her for bc stage 3 in my left breast. I have had a double mastectomy. and I have begun chemo treatments. We both will be going through radiation. So do the test people. Its important to be well informed and proactive. .

With 2 first degree relatives with bc, you should qualify for "high risk" screening just fine.  What that means is that getting regular MRIs in addition to the Mammograms should not only be possible, but should be covered by insurance.  As you've discovered, each test picks up different things, so it is truly advantageous to do both.  In my experience, the type of bc I had showed on the mammogram VERY clearly, and it also appeared on the MRI (though I'm not positive they would have spotted it on the MRI without knowing in advance that it was there).  But most types of bc show up better on MRI than mammogram. (And on digital mammogram much better than on standard film mammogram.)  I've met lots of women whose bc showed up on one and not the other.  As someone recently dx with bc, I have both annual bilateral digital mammograms and annual bilateral MRI (but do one or the other every 6 months).  I have also had annual pelvic ultrasounds for some years now.  That would likely find ovarian changes before there were any other symptoms.  And as you probably already know, the problem with ovarian cancer is that women don't typically know they have it until it's grown/spread enough to cause symptoms.  At which point it's pretty hard to stop.  My cousin (the daughter of the aunt with ovarian cancer) opted to have her ovaries out at 40 and urged me to do the same.  But I was 30 at the time, and the idea seemed CRAZY to me!!  Now, at 48, with my own breast cancer dx and having seen my aunt dx for OC years ago at 53, I am planning to have my ovaries removed this year.  It turns out, removal before age 50/before menopause is considerably more protective than removing them later.  I'm in perimenopause now (erratic periods, etc), so don't want to wait any longer. 

Since both your mom and sister tested negative for BRCA1 & 2, I agree with you about their being no point in you also doing genetic testing at this point.  There are a lot of other genes that are involved in breast and ovarian cancer, but have not yet been identified and so we cannot yet be tested for them.  My family has ovarian, breast and colon cancer - those three are known to be related genetically - yet I tested negative for BRCA1 & 2.  It doesn't mean there isn't something genetic going on - it seems pretty obvious that there IS!  The negative test just means the gene(s) my family is dealing with isn't BRCA 1 or 2.  After I got the negative results, the genetic counselor suggested I give him a call every year or so to see if there have been any new genes identified that might fit our family profile. 

In terms of good diet and exercise protecting you, they certainly help - no doubt!  And both (especially if "good diet" means low saturated fat), clearly reduce the risk of recurrance for breast cancer survivors.  But eating well and exercising doesn't guarantee anything - the risk reduction shown in studies is somewhere between 25 and 40% - no where near 100%.  Or even 90%!  But our lifestyle choices ARE the area where we have some control and can make real decisions.  We don't have much we can do about genetics and the larger environmental factors.

Good luck to you, whatever you decide to do.