Discovering a Family History

Hi and best wishes to you on your treatment journey.  I also discovered a family history involving a high incidence of breast cancer after my diagnosis at 42yo in October 2014.  I have since undergone chemo (1st step of my treatment), surgery and radiotherapy.  Prior to diagnosis I was aware my maternal aunt was diagnosed in her early 50's.  I was also aware there was quite a lot of cancer in my maternal grandfather's family but didn't know the full extent until investigating it in preparation for genetic testing which I chose to pursue.  No one really encouraged me to pursue genetic testing and the genetic counsellor admitted when my positive result came back that she was surprised - I wasn't.  Turns out my mother's cousin died at 34yo from breast cancer (she would be in her 80's if alive now so I am sure her treatment was not comparable to todays but she was still very young to be diagnosed).  My mother had three aunts on her dad's side two of whom developed breast cancer, one at 36yo, not sure of age of diagnosis of the second.  Not surprisingly genetic testing showed I have the BRACA2 mutation.  This information did change my treatment and the results were rushed through prior to my surgery to allow for the outcome to be considered in choosing the type of surgery I would undergo.  Instead of a lumpectomy as initially anticipated, I had a mastectomy to reduce the risk of a new cancer in the future.  Having finished radiotherapy my active treatment is now over and I will have a mastectomy on the non-cancer affected side in a few weeks.  My ovaries will also be removed at the end of the year when I have my reconstructive surgery completed with implants.  My surgeon would not do a double mastectomy at the time of my first surgery (as I had hoped to get all of this over and done with asap) as she wanted to focus just on treating my cancer to begin with....... no point putting my immune surpressed newly post chemo body through non urgent surgery.

 I am very glad to have undergone genetic testing and to be able to take preventative steps for any new breast and ovarian cancers which are an increased risk for those of us with genetic cancers, but understand not everyone wants to go down this path.

 I have recently been told I can call myself in remission and am looking forward to my perky new boobs by Xmas!

Sending you all the very best of luck and a speedy recovery!