Read about how different women have faced their individual risks of breast and ovarian cancer.
Cathy
My mother died of breast cancer when I was still a teenager, and
my sister was diagnosed when we were young adults. I always knew
that breast cancer ran in my family and assumed that I was at high
risk. Genetic testing identified a mutation in me, as well as many
of my family members. The power of that information allowed me to
work with my healthcare providers to take steps to manage my cancer
risk. I decided to have a preventive mastectomy - which turned out
to be surgery for an early stage breast cancer that was identified
during my pre-surgical appointments. Later, I also decided to have
my ovaries removed to reduce my risk of ovarian cancer. I feel that
genetic testing helped me make these decisions and do everything in
my power to fight the high risk of cancer that runs in my
family.
A genetic test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
