Strong family history with benign biopsy results

LastFrontierTra
LastFrontierTra Member Posts: 1
edited December 2017 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

On my mother's side, my mother, grandmother, two aunts, and two cousins all have had breast cancer - none life threatening or fatal, but some diagnosed in their early 40's.

On my father's side, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 65 that metastasized to lung and colon cancer that was eventually fatal.

I will be 50 next May. I just had a breast biopsy that came back noting "benign breast tissue with sclerosing adenosis (associated with microcalcification), apocrine metaplasia, columnar cell change, and focal lobular hyperplasia. All areas negative for atypia."

I was told simply to come back for a follow-up diagnostic mammogram (on the other breast) in six months.

I am the primary, live-in caregiver to my adult daughter who has multiple disabilities.

I am concerned that perhaps I should consider taking meds to lessen my risk of getting breast cancer or, perhaps, even get a bilateral mastectomy to prevent it. Shouldn't I at least see a specialist to see what they recommend? I see my primary doctor in two days in follow-up. I am not sure who will be there to assist my daughter if something happens to me.

Thank you for any advice or feedback you can provide.

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  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited December 2017

    Hi there LastFrontierTra! Welcome to BCO.

    You have approximately the same family history as I do (including with the only known risk in my father's side was my paternal grandmother, who had breast cancer postmenopausally.) My father only had brothers, no sisters.

    My family history did qualify me to get genetically tested: my genetics counselor did check and found that at least in some databases that cousins did count. Most breast cancers after the age of about 50 are less likely to be genetically related. So, I thought it unlikely that my father's side of the family would have any problems.

    Some women with a BRCA mutation can have up to an 80% chance of having breast cancer during their lifetimes. As far as I know, that's the highest lifetime risk of breast cancer that I know of for a single deleterious mutation. However, only about 5-10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary.

    I ended up getting diagnosed with an unusual deleterious gene mutation in the BRCA gene pathway, and it ended up being in my father's side of the family. However, not much is known about this gene or its risks, but it does seem to increase breast and ovarian cancer risk. In my particular case, all 4 brothers (my father and his 3 brothers) inherited the gene mutation, but only some of these 4 brothers children inherited it. If you didn't inherit the gene mutation, obviously, you don't have the risk that this mutation entails.

    You may want to inquire if you qualify for gene testing, and, if so, whether or not insurance will cover it. I was tested for about 20 different gene mutations. They normally want to first test the people who have had breast cancer, because they are at highest chance of having a deleterious mutation. Obviously, they can't test people who have died, and some people do not have insurance that will cover big panels of gene testing.

    I highly recommend if you intend to go through this route, to get gene counseling by a certified gene counselor testing happens. People can certainly see a gene counselor and choose not to get tested; the gene counselor should NOT be pressuring you for or against gene testing.

    Remember the words 'high risk' is relative. One of my conditions, classic LCIS, is normally called 'high risk', yet probably less than half of women with classic LCIS will ever get breast cancer. A lot is unknown in this area of breast cancer risk prediction.

    Best wishes, leaf

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