22 and my grandma had it

Options
babygirl90
babygirl90 Member Posts: 3
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Hello 

im a 22 year old girl, my grand ma had a breast cancer currently she is free of it as she removed her breasts ( she is 83 years) the thing is im scared should i take an exam. noting that:

-she is from my father's side

- i have an aunt who had ovary sists and removed it but she is healthy now and had kids but i dont know is the did the Breast cancer test or not

- i had a testosterone and prolactine ups and downs due to a not so big weight problem but now ok

im scared of having a cancer of course and my mom told me there is a no need to do the exam and im so young

so should i do it or im just over scared ?

please through experience tell me is there a high probability ?????????

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • MelissaDallas
    MelissaDallas Member Posts: 7,268
    edited April 2013

    Babygirl,



    I'm not clear on what kind of exam you are talking about. You should talk to you gynecologist about learning to do monthly breast self-exams and your concern but you certainly don't need a mammogram or anything.



    Your grandmother doesn't up your risk as much as you think, especially if she was not diagnosed at a young age. It doesn't matter on genetics which side of the family it is on. What really counts on risk is first degree relatives - your Mom or sisters, even more so if they are diagnosed young. Ovarian cysts are generally benign & incredibly common & not a risk factor. Ovarian cancer is.



    I really don't think you have anything to worry about right now. Just have your regular checkups. The best things at your age to manage your risk - maintain a healthy weight, exercise, don't smoke & don't drink alcohol to excess.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • babygirl90
    babygirl90 Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2013

    Thank you so much i really appreciate your reply 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • farmerlucy
    farmerlucy Member Posts: 3,985
    edited April 2013

    Babygirl - You are probably too young to be concerned about this now. I have a 23 yo daughter. I had BC and so did my mother, both premenopausally. I have spoken with my genetic counselor re: my daughter's screening protocol. The ACS recommends screening begin at 30, the genetic counselor said for her to come in and talk to him when she is around 25. We do not have any known genetic markers in the family. Once you start the screening it can become quite onerous. It is good to get your ducks in a row in the next few years, but don't obsess about it.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • peanutsgal
    peanutsgal Member Posts: 161
    edited April 2013

    Babygirl,



    The others are right. You should learn to do breast self exams, but as far as any mammograms go, I would carefully consider how much radiation you would be exposing your breast tissue to. At 22, your breast tissue is most likely very dense and a higher dose of radiation would have to be used in order to get a clear picture if one could even be obtained at all. Be diligent about your self exams, see your doc yearly for clinical exams and take care of yourself. Best of luck to ya!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • doxie
    doxie Member Posts: 1,455
    edited April 2013

    I agree with the others.  My grandmother had BC when she was in her mid 60s, I in my mid 50s.  If ours are related it is more likely that I have the same lumpy, dense breasts.  Ironically, I had a mammogram in my mid 20s due to my breasts turning really hard. (stress or hormone related and it went away on its own) That may have contributed more to the chance I got BC than my grandmother's BC and I'm sure the doctor couldn't see a thing in that mammogram because of the density.

    Learn self examination so you learn what your breasts feel like.  It's best to do them shortly after your period is over, if my memory serves me right.  

    Edited to add that my grandmother ate a horrible diet, happily drank a bit too much, got very little exercise, lived on a farm with generous use of herbicides and pesticides.  Only the herbicides and pesticides apply to me.  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited April 2013

    Echoing what the others have said:  remember that about 12%of the general female population in the USA ends up getting breast cancer sometime in their lifetime.  Most breast cancer is NOT from heredity - they estimate that only about 10-15% of breast cancers are from single known mutations (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2).  If your grandmother got breast cancer postmenopausally, or after the age of 50, it is probable that her breast cancer was NOT from a hereditary gene mutation. They estimate that about 70% of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no obvious risk factors.

    My family history is

    postmenopausal or over the age of 50: 1 paternal grandmother, 2 maternal aunts, 1 cousin. The genetics counselor opined I have a low risk of having a hereditary breast cancer.  The genetics counselor didn't ask about cousins.

    Here are the PSTF guidelines for who should be considered for BRCA testing: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf05/brcagen/brcagenrs.htm#clinical

    I also echo the opinion of the others above that the decision whether or not to get mammograms should be a very careful one.  The closer you are to the age of puberty, the higher your risk from radiation actually causing breast cancer.  They estimate that the risk of a 55 year old from getting breast cancer from a mammogram is much, much lower and her risk for breast cancer is much higher than a 22 year old.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • babygirl90
    babygirl90 Member Posts: 3
    edited April 2013

    Thanks so much, i know the effects of the mmamogram and that it increases the risk but i will learn the self test and im muslim so i dont drink alcohols but the radiations is what really concerns ma as i work with computers alot and i wear my bra most of the day 

    thanks so much for caring and replying you really all helped me and i hope all of you get cured im really truelly thankful 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories