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The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > The Goodmine > Rest in peace, wren...
Bollock Monkey
Jan 21, 2007

The Almighty
 I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I'd like some input from internet strangers. I've followed this thread for a long time and you guys seem nice and pretty well-informed.

Both my mum and my maternal grandmother died of cancer. Both had breast cancer, and in my mum's case she had chemo and a mastectomy, was thought to be clear and then had secondaries a few years later that killed her. Obligatory 'gently caress cancer!' here.

I've been batting the idea around in my head for a while now about looking into genetic counselling. I'm rather conflicted, though - if I have the BRCA gene, then it still isn't a certainty that I'll get breast cancer, and at the moment I work on the assumption that it's very likely that I will get it given my family history. So I don't know what good knowing would really do, but on the other hand I figure that if I can find out then I may as well.

I'm really not sure. Does anyone have thoughts?

* # ¿ Jan 19, 2013 14:14
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Bollock Monkey
Jan 21, 2007

The Almighty

Ariamaki posted:

I don't know about doing a genetic session for it, but with a family history like that... It would probably be no different from doing regular checkups.
So for safety's sake, do both. Go in for the session, because informed is better than not. And if it comes back false, still get tested specifically on a yearly basis at least- There's no such thing as finding out too early. If the test comes back positive, it's basically just confirming something you are already near sure of.

I'm in the UK so I don't really get to just pick and choose when to get tested for things. I'm not sure how it works, but I did wonder if having the genetic counselling would mean that I was perhaps offered mammograms early? I need to find out more about that side of things, I guess.

* # ¿ Jan 19, 2013 16:24
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Bollock Monkey
Jan 21, 2007

The Almighty

xarg posted:

How old were they? If they were under 50 then it's probably worth getting genetic counselling (and possibly genetic testing afterwards). If they were both reasonably old then the risk is much lower that it was due to the BRCA mutation. With or without the mutation, depending on their age at diagnosis this may or may not put you into the "high risk" category, which would involve earlier and more regular screening with mammograms (and ultrasound when <35).

As others have mentioned, make sure you get genetic counselling before getting tested. If you're found to have a cancer causing mutation you're legally obliged to divulge that information to any insurance companies so it's quite a double edged sword. At the least, you could take out health/life insurance before the testing and then cancel it if you're not found to have a high risk, but I admittedly don't really know that much about this course of action. But yeah, don't just go order a DNA test off the internet.

Lady Demelza posted:

There's a 50/50 chance of inheriting the BRCA mutations if your mother had one of them, but it could be that two generations of women were just unlucky enough to get breast cancer. BRCA mutations don't just increase the risk of breast cancer; they also increase the risk of ovarian, colon and pancreatic cancer. Do these cancers run in your family, including male relatives (except ovarian, obviously!)?

If the test is positive, then yes, you will probably be offered check-ups earlier. You will also probably find it harder to be approved for things like mortgages and life insurance, because it will be assumed you'll be unable to met future financial obligations.

I'm not saying "don't do it", and all of this will be covered in-depth by the genetic counsellor, but there's more to it than a simple blood test. The Macmillan Cancer Support website has useful info.
My mum was in her 30s and I think my nanna was in her late fifties at the time of diagnosis, and I don't think there are any other cancers that have cropped up multiple times. The insurance/mortgage stuff is definitely food for thought. I'm only 22 so hadn't even considered that side of things. That alone is enough for me to be a lot less keen on the idea. I don't want to gently caress my future over something that I don't have much control over!

* # ¿ Jan 20, 2013 15:57
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The Something Awful Forums > Archives > Comedy Goldmine > The Goodmine > Rest in peace, wren...