Breast cancer twice and BRCA2

Hi Al68 welcome to the forum. I am so sorry to hear your news and I can understand why you have lots of questions and feel confused about the whole thing any of us would be.

I dont know enough about the queries that you have but I wondered if you  might like to post in the Ask a Nurse section of the site as they may be able to give you more detailed information or able to direct you to that. I have inserted the link to this for you below and you need only click on this and it will take you straight there.

Good luck and he that you get the answers that you are seeking.xxx

Ask the Nurse link

Hi A168,

If you speak to your genetic counsellor or the Dr who tested you for the BRCA then they should be able to calculate your personal risk levels for the cancers that relate to your specific BRCA mutation.

Having surgery definitely reduces your personal risk, but I'm not sure a cancer diagnosis does. 

I'm so sorry to hear that your oncologists did not suggest you seek genetic advise after your first diagnosis. As I understand it most now suggest this for Ovarian cancer diagnoses but perhaps it is a bit of a postcode lottery.

My experience with BRCA started with my Mum, her primary cancer diagnosis was 2008 in her right breast and at that time required chemo before an operation, because her tumour was inoperable. The chemo was successful that time and she went on the have an operation and radio to mop up whatever was left.

Her oncologist recommended we see a genetic counsellor as our familial history suggested a potential mutation. We discovered both my Mum and self carried the BRCA2 and as I remember Mum was advised she had a 80% risk of cancer returning in her remaining breaat so was in the process of starting to consider having this removed and reconstructed, but the process of reconstructing her right breast was a long process as was completed long after her fist diagnosis and treatment and she had to have an expander in etc.

Unfortunately her secondary cancer was a brain tumour, which presented itself after she came off herceptin (her oncologist told her to come off cold turkey!) Her tumour rapidly progressed without that hormone treatment, which we later came to understand was holding it at bay. It was potentially always there.

Hope this is somewhat helpful.

I think ultimately we are all unique, no one has the same genetic code So seek advice from the professionals who have carried you through this process so far.

Warm Regards,

Anne

Hi and thank you for the suggestion. I will do that. 

Hi Annemariee and thank you. That sounds like good advice.