- By Theresa Smith
- Posted March 22, 2016
Hang on a Minute, Let’s Think This Through
After testing positive for a mutation in my BRCA2 gene, I was on high alert. I rushed to all my doctor’s appointments and gathered a lot of information regarding preventive surgery options. I also did a lot of research on the statistics and newer medical studies regarding BRCA1 and BRCA2. I evaluated everything based…
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted March 10, 2016
It's Complicated: Sharing Your Genetic Test Results (Original)
I feel funny writing about sharing genetic test results when I’ve never done it myself, but don’t let that stop you from reading… I’ll draw upon my years in the clinic as a genetic counselor, speaking to many families about this topic, and offer thoughts from my side of the table. I have seen that it’s complicated for some families, but…
- By Eve Mart
- Posted March 1, 2016
Being a Survivor Doesn’t Mean You Can Ignore Me
My mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989, when breast cancer was still whispered about and long before Angelina Jolie put genetic testing on the Hollywood map. My mom complied with the treatment recommended for her at the time, which included a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. Eighteen years later, in 2007, I was 34 years old…
- By Dr. Robina Smith
- Posted February 18, 2016
Following Positive/High Risk Patients and Survivors
According to the National Cancer Institute SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) stat fact sheet on female breast cancer there were an estimated 12.3% of women living with breast cancer in the United States in 2012. 98.6% of breast cancer survivors diagnosed with early stage breast cancer are alive after 5 years or more. As early detection,…
- By Jessica Profato, MS, CGC
- Posted February 4, 2016
Coping with Cancer: 5 Lessons from my Patients
As a clinical genetic counselor, a big part of my job was educating my patients about the basics of genetics and hereditarycancer. Another equally, if not more, important part of my job was to talk to them about how a diagnosis of cancer, a positive genetic test result, or a combination of the two was impacting their life and those of their family…
- By Eve Mart
- Posted February 2, 2016
Healthy Habits, Healthy Mind
The funny thing about ‘healthy habits’ is that you can do everything ‘right’, but there are no guarantees in life. For me, breast cancer is hereditary. he·red·i·tar·y Something (like a health problem, like cancer) that is due to inherited genetic changes (mutations), which can be passed from parent to child. I have a BRCA1…
- By Theresa Smith
- Posted January 26, 2016
You want to take my ovaries out?
I was diagnosed with a BRCA2 gene mutation on August 1, 2013. My surgery for a complete preventive hysterectomy (to remove my ovaries, Fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus) was just six weeks later on September 11. I requested to undergo BRCA1/2 genetic testing as a “tie breaker” to help me decide if I should have the surgery,…
- By Theresa Smith
- Posted January 14, 2016
Watching and Waiting for Cancer
So I met all the doctors. What now? All the information and options were given to me, and it was overwhelming, to say the least. I was considering both preventive surgeries (full hysterectomy and preventive bilateral mastectomy (PBM) with reconstruction). I was playing the “odds versus timing” game in my head: “If I wait until I’m X years…
- By Eve Mart
- Posted December 22, 2015
The Results of Genetic Testing Impacts Lives
Before my breast cancer diagnosis, I had a brief conversation with my OB/GYN physician regarding my potentially increased breast cancer risk. I was coming up on my 35th birthday, and thought it might be responsible to schedule a baseline mammogram. I don't recall anything remarkable about that conversation with my doctor. She provided me with literature…