21 and have the gene

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jenamae
jenamae Member Posts: 47
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer
21 and have the gene
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  • jenamae
    jenamae Member Posts: 47
    edited November 2009

    now what do i do?!? my mom was 27 when she got breast cancer and died when she was 30. i have 2 wonderful girls and i want and need to be there for them. im scared out of my mind

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  • Mutd
    Mutd Member Posts: 148
    edited November 2009

    1stly. What about the lump which worried you sick last year? Did it turn out OK?

    Remember, you have time. Very few BRCA mutation cancers begin before the age of 30. You need time to study your options and to choose carefully. Being scared witless may be a recipee for poor choices. Did you discuss your situation with a Genetic Counselor already? Also you gotta talk with other young BRCA sisters at the forums of facingourrisk.org and bebrightpink.org

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  • jenamae
    jenamae Member Posts: 47
    edited November 2009

    i got an ultrasound of it last year lady had no idea what to do and couldnt even see or feel it and that made me angry. im at a new place now. so much better seems like they actually care.  im going in today to talk to her about my options and what i need to do to stay healthy and dont worry i will not do anything drastic. and a surgen is going to look at the bump today

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  • cakeisgreat
    cakeisgreat Member Posts: 660
    edited November 2009

    keep us posted!

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  • jenamae
    jenamae Member Posts: 47
    edited November 2009

    didnt find anything

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  • LISAMG
    LISAMG Member Posts: 639
    edited November 2009

    Hi Jenamae!!

    I completely disagree with what was previously mentioned to you re: very few BRCA related cancers begin before the age of 30. This is simply not true, especially with BRCA 1 carriers. Are you BRCA 1 positive? Your mom was very young and you are close to her age. Its very understandable for you to be frightened. However, knowledge is power and remember you always had this genetic pre-disposition, but you now know how to be proactive.

    What did the surgeon tell you today? Have you had an MRI yet? It would be prudent for you to have this important baseline study. As previously mentioned, please visit http://www.facingourrisk.org/ and find young women your age who can share their experiences with you in the young previvors forum. Linsey Avner is a young BRCA positive woman who began her organization at your age, http://www.bebrightpink.org/ . She is an inspiration for all young women. See http://www.bebrightpink.org/for-high-risk-young-women/get-informed/options-for-high-risk-young-women/ for more information.

    Wishing you the very best. Gather all the facts, do your own research and you will find what is best for you. You have lots of options, whether it be close surveillance or preventative surgery. Always seek different opinions to make a fully informed decision.

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  • jenamae
    jenamae Member Posts: 47
    edited November 2009

    yes BRCA1+, Dr. said things feel fine. have mammogram this week just as a base so if something changes even the littlest bit they can see right away.

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  • Elizabethmary
    Elizabethmary Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2009

    hi dear

             dont worry, you can prevent cancer by living a healthy lifestyle, avoid smoking you can use e cigarette which is very less harmful to health and is less carcinogenic try this site[url=http://www.njoyecigarette.com]e cigarette[/url] bye

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  • Mutd
    Mutd Member Posts: 148
    edited November 2009

    Lisa, with all respect to yout deep knowledge of the subject ... I still think that "no more than one out of 25 BRCA-related breast cancers strikes before the age of 30, while 24+ out of 25 happen later" is indeed "very few". The picture below is from Evans 2008 British study of high-risk families (like all high-risk family studies, it overestimates the risk by a possibly significant margin, especially the early-age risk ... the real prospective (looking ahead) numbers must be even smaller. In fact the same paper cited 0.25-0.27% annual cancer rate in the prospectively studied mutation carriers, meaning that an average mutation carrier may have a 39 out of 40 chance to remain cancer free after doing nothing for 10 years ... but of course there were too few mutation carriers who chose surveillance, and the duration of the study was too short, so the prospective data have limited statistical significance).

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited July 2010

    Any can one answer: if a BRCA 1 carrier did all prophilactic surgeries, the chance of getting either BC or OV is ALMOST zero, meaing most likely she can grow to an old woman?

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  • Jenniferz
    Jenniferz Member Posts: 541
    edited July 2010

    I think if a brca person did all the surgeries, she/he may not get breast cancer in his/her breasts simply because they are not there. BUT, as we know, not all breast tissue is removed. Perhaps it will come back on the chest wall. Perhaps not. Cancer is a crap shoot. There is no one person who can guarantee that if all prophilatic surgeries are made, then you will stay cancer free. It's a choice to consider and make, and I really don't know what I would do at your ages. In my family on my father's side, there are many different cancers, and some of us are survivors, some have died. There was one pancreatic, one metastatic lung, one stomach, one prostate, and 4 breast cancers. The pacreatic and lung and one breast cancer people are no longer here. What gene, do you think, we carry? Who knows. Do I carry the BRCA 1 or 2? I wasn't tested, so I don't know.



    ElizabethMary, I do not smoke, do not drink, lead a fairly active lifestyle., and eat a reasonably healthy diet. However, I still had breast cancer. So your statement, unfortunately, is incorrect.



    Hope I didn't upset anyone. Jenamae, keep vigil with your health, and really listen to your body. I do hope you find and are comfortable with the answers you seek.



    Jennifer





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