- By Tara Namey, MS, LCGC
- Posted July 28, 2016
What to Expect Regarding Your Health Care Following the Identification of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Gene Mutation
When you learn that you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, there are naturally questions as to what this will mean for your ongoing medical care and what you will need to do differently. The initial conversation with your healthcare provider will likely include a discussion about the options available to more carefully screen…
- By Bill Rotter
- Posted July 28, 2016
Ways The Ambry Genetics HBOC Patient Website Would Have Been Helpful After My Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Genetic Testing
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2013, and soon after learned I had inherited a gene mutation that was passed on from my father’s side of my family. This overwhelming news was cause for great concern as much of what I had just learned was a lot to absorb. I was the first in my family to be tested for BRCA1/2 gene mutations…
- By Bill Rotter
- Posted July 25, 2016
Emotional Impact and Reactions to Diagnosis and Treatment
My diagnosis of breast cancer was extremely difficult to accept especially as a male with what typically affects women in 99% of all breast cancer cases. Where did this come from? Why me, having no known male breast cancer in my family? This shocking diagnosis left me with way too many questions in a world where I had so little knowledge. Having…
- By Eve Mart
- Posted July 19, 2016
Relearning to Balance
After cancer treatment, I was so relieved to be finished with the demands of treatment and ready to put the experience behind me. Ironically, I found myself feeling uncertain with what my future held. I was so fixated on a magic number… five years. In my mind, if I could just get five years out from treatment, I would be magically cured and the…
- By Tameron Harvell, MSN, RN, FNP-BC
- Posted July 14, 2016
You are Not To Blame
You’ve just received your genetic testing results and no mutation was detected! What a relief to know that your risk for cancer is no greater than that of the average population. Then you look over to your sister who has been told that she does carry a mutation which significantly increases her lifetime risk for cancer. She is faced with many…
- By Tiana Adams, PA-C, MBA
- Posted July 7, 2016
You Need to Know These: Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer
My name is Tiana Adams, and I am a practicing Physician Assistant with 18 years of clinical experience. During this time I have worked in many specialties, including Family Practice, Urgent Care, Occupational Medicine, Orthopedics and Breast Cancer Surgery. Currently, I am the Oncology Operations Specialist at Ambry. Moving into this role is something…
- By Bill Rotter
- Posted July 5, 2016
What Does Cancer Feel Like?
Cancer affects us in many ways and can be difficult to detect until symptoms appear causing us to see a doctor. Many cancers grow inside of us and may take longer to detect. Other cancers, such as in my case with breast cancer, can be felt as a small lump. Knowing what cancer feels like may be important in detecting cancer at its earlier stages.…
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted June 30, 2016
What Healthcare Providers Learn from Their Patients
When you go to an appointment with your healthcare provider, what do you expect? Information. Discussion. Compassion. Maybe a plan. And for good measure, a joke or two? That’s what I expect, anyway, when things are going well. That combination definitely shifts if things aren’t going well with my health. Then I expect to learn facts, offered…
- By Eve Mart
- Posted June 28, 2016
What did Cancer Teach Me?
It might seem difficult to comprehend, but I think cancer taught me a number of profound life lessons that few people realize until it’s too late. I don’t think I stand alone in that thought. In the face of breast cancer, I’ve seen many women show remarkable strength and do things even they never thought they could do. “You never know how…
- By Alexandria Meyer
- Posted June 23, 2016
What Does a Family with Hereditary Cancer Look Like?
It’s easy and natural to assume that if you have a family history of something, then that something may be genetic. I think this is especially the case when it comes to cancer, as nearly everything we hear in the media and in our culture hammers home the idea that if you have a family history of cancer, you are at an increased risk for it. This…