I have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer - I am 53 as well. Coming to terms with that is hard but I believe that the more information you have, the better able you are to treat your disease. In fact, I just had a very rare operation that may give me years, if not cure me entirely. That may never have happened without my involvement and knowledge. There are so few women with breast cancer given this surgery that you have to comb records to get survival numbers (which are good). They do give it regularly to those with colon cancer but not breast as breast is considered systemic.
As for your daughter, I understand her not needing to know. My sister also didn't need me to be genetically tested. She said she would not do a prophylactic mastectomy nor take tamoxifen so there is no point. (I only have sons myself and yes, I know they can get breast cancer.)
Because I have breast cancer, my sister's doctors are going to follow her more closely and that's good. The odds are you don't have the gene - even in cases where mothers and aunts have it, most often, the BRCA gene isn't involved. Although, there is only one way to find out!
Just make sure your daughter knows to tell her GYN about your diagnosis and remind her to pay very close attention to her breasts and report any changes, and to NEVER to skip a mammogram when its time. She may have more diagnostics than others her age, even for things like cysts, so she'll have to manage that and whatever nerves it brings up. But, even with the BRCA gene, you aren't guaranteed cancer, and without it, you aren't guaranteed a cancer-free life.
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Hi Anonymous,
I have been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer - I am 53 as well. Coming to terms with that is hard but I believe that the more information you have, the better able you are to treat your disease. In fact, I just had a very rare operation that may give me years, if not cure me entirely. That may never have happened without my involvement and knowledge. There are so few women with breast cancer given this surgery that you have to comb records to get survival numbers (which are good). They do give it regularly to those with colon cancer but not breast as breast is considered systemic.
As for your daughter, I understand her not needing to know. My sister also didn't need me to be genetically tested. She said she would not do a prophylactic mastectomy nor take tamoxifen so there is no point. (I only have sons myself and yes, I know they can get breast cancer.)
Because I have breast cancer, my sister's doctors are going to follow her more closely and that's good. The odds are you don't have the gene - even in cases where mothers and aunts have it, most often, the BRCA gene isn't involved. Although, there is only one way to find out!
Just make sure your daughter knows to tell her GYN about your diagnosis and remind her to pay very close attention to her breasts and report any changes, and to NEVER to skip a mammogram when its time. She may have more diagnostics than others her age, even for things like cysts, so she'll have to manage that and whatever nerves it brings up. But, even with the BRCA gene, you aren't guaranteed cancer, and without it, you aren't guaranteed a cancer-free life.
Good luck to you and {{{{big hugs}}}}}
November 15, 2011 - 1:34pmThis Comment
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