Pending BRCA result and making decisions

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I've got TNBC and am expecting my BRCA results next week. I have been pretty successful at putting it out of my mind until now, but with the results being so near, it's crept in.

Anyway, before my BC diagnosis, my doctors had very much lead me to believe it was almost certainly nothing to worry about, considering my age, no family history of BC and my mammogram came back normal.. So when they told me that not only did I have BC, but one of the most aggressive types, I fell apart. I couldn't think clearly or make decisions for weeks after... I think my mind just shut down or something.

So, I can not and will not have that happen again. I want to make my plans now, before the result, so that no matter what they say on the day, I will have some degree of preparation done, in the hope that it will help me to cope if the result isn't favourable.

Unfortunately, I live overseas and there's nothing like BC nurses or counceling services, so I'd be really grateful if anyone who's had the benefit of these or has been through this has any advice that they'd be willing to share about the decisions they made, in terms of their own path forward, and telling family. I'm particularly concerned about my mum who is 65 and has a couple of medical conditions which make her quite frail, and is also just unable to cope with bad news of any kind, and whether the right thing to do in the case of a positive result is to NOT tell her.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can offer xx

Mariscotia over 3 years ago

I'm sort of in the same boat. 8 years ago I had TNBC. I was not offered a BRCA test. All I could do was warn my daughter to make sure her mammograms (once she was old enough) were up to date. There is little BC in my family. Now I am afraid has cancer struck again, in the bowel. Although not a high grade, one lymph node is cancerous. The oncologist said it was an unusual presentation, so she is arranging a genetic test. I haven't heard any more yet. But things move slowly. There is a family history of bowel C so I am particularly worried about this one. I have a daughter and a son, and I suppose relevant, 2 grandsons. So I'm still in the limbo stage while I go through more chemo. Good luck with your outcome.

FormerMember over 3 years ago

Hi BJM

I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2001, had surgery and chemo a nd a later second mastectomy. Understandably my siblings and I were concerned if there was a gene related reason for the breast cancer.

Results came back without a reason for my breast cancer. However, my younger sister was diagnosed with DCIS a few years ago and she was told that her blood would be sent to the genetics people as tests had become more sensitive. I was also contacted by the generics people who sent me down a blood test kit and I took it to the surgery and the nurse took the sample and arranged for it to be sent back to the genetics lab.it was explained to me that my sister and me would be to the resulting the same day.

They 'phoned back and told me the result which showed that we both had the BRCA2 gene deficiency. Two of my four other siblings took up the chance of a test ( i should say that we all had given blood at the time if my diagnosis in 2001). Both if them were affected and along with my other sister had double mastectomies . My two sisters also had their ovaries removed.

By 2002 I had had two mastectomies so it mattered little to me but I had finally found out what had caused my breast cancer.

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Pending BRCA result and making decisions