BRCA2
Sunday, August 27th, 2006 -- J. DoeThis week, I found out that I have a BRCA2 mutation. What is a BRCA2 mutation, you might ask ? I sure did.
BRCA2 is a gene, and a mutation of it has been highly linked to several forms of cancer, notably breast, ovarian and pancreatic, although it has also been linked to prostate cancer as well.
In the normal population, or people without the BRCA mutation, the risk of breast cancer in women is 14 percent before the age of 70. Roughly speaking, 1 in 7 women will develop breast cancer by the age of 70.Those are bad enough odds, but in people with a BRCA2 mutation, the risk for breast cancer in women is 87 percent by the age of 70.
In the normal population, the risk of ovarian cancer is more than 2 percent. In women with the BRCA2 mutation it is 44 percent. It is a type of cancer that is hard to detect, unlike breast cancer, and has a high mortality rate.
Needless to say, I was not happy to get this diagnosis. I met with a genetic counselor who told me about all my options, ranging from chemoprevention (taking a drug called tamoxifen), increased doctor visits, breast MRIs and exams to prophylactic removal of the breasts and ovaries.
I am glad though that I did this test, because now that I know that I have this tendency towards cancer, I will be more vigilant, and if/when cancer occurs I can catch it at an early stage and count the weeks to recovery instead of the months to death.
The reason I did the test in the first place was because cancer runs in my family. Most cancers are caused by environmental factors, but several have genetic tendencies. If any one reading this has a strong family history of any type of cancer, do talk to your doctor to see if this test is for you.
Remember, sadness for having a genetic probabilty to contract cancer is not the same as getting cancer. A little genetic knowledge of how your body is structured can only be a good thing.
Good for you for checking, I do the same myself. Take heart, there is more and more vailable every month in the fight against cancer, J.
Hi,
I’ve been lurking on your blog for quite sometime (and I think I came to it via italyisfallingdown). In any case, just wanted to give you my 2 cents’ worth. My mom had breast cancer almost 13 years ago and was prescribed tamoxifen after radiation. I just read in your post that you might be given tamoxifen as “prevention.” Besides it increasing your risk of uterine cancer, Tamoxifen has some pretty nasty side effects including extreme tiredness, nausea and light headedness (not to mention you would have to have a regular D&C). Anyway, just wanted to give you some pointers and I’d be happy to answer any questions…should you have them.
Take care -
Thanks Chris.
Thanks ro. My doctor told me that Tamoxifen interfers with ovulation and is not for women trying to conceive, so since I am, that ended the option of Tamoxifen for me. Maybe in the future I’ll take it. My mother does too.
Sorry about the news, what a bummer. I hope you get better tests and take care of yourself. I think knowing is much better than not.
Advances in genetics have allowed people to have a better understanding of increased risk, sometimes more than they would like to know. The other side of this coin is that genetics discoveries will also provide better treatments in the very near future. Understanding the genetics DNA puzzle is the beginning of finding solutions to these problems.
Best Wishes, please keep us informed and Keep on truckin!
Thanks Gina
Thanks Ray.
I can’t say that I am truly happy with the BRCA2 mutation diagnosis,but I am kind of glad that I am aware of it and can do diagnostic tests to catch anything in an early, treatable stage, unlike the people before me who did not have the same opportunities for increased surveillance.
I think it’s a good thing to be aware of possible problems.
First off, I am glad to see that you are back in the blog world!
Sorry to hear about your bad news. On the up side (I always try to look for the silver lining), early detection is the key to stoping cancer. Now that you know you may be prone to cancer, you can keep your eyes peeled and stay on top of this.
Wishing you all the best….
Cyn
Ovarian cancer is a silent killer and is one of the deadliest threats to women’s health. The American Cancer Society says that about 20,180 American women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year alone. Every woman faces a risk of 1:57 risk of getting ovarian cancer in her lifetime.
-Jeanette