I’m concerned I might have a BRCA 1/2 gene mutation. I have no known family history of breast or ovarian cancer but my dad had prostate cancer 10 years ago, which increases my risk of the mutation and breast cancer.
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@CatchAFallingStar: Have you brought up your recent bout of health panic to your doctor and therapist? If not, please call today.
Does your husband know the extent of your current anxiety? If not, please talk to him about it first thing this morning and have him advocate for you with your doctor and therapist.
Your current treatment plan is not working. You need to insist with your providers on a new treatment plan or find new care providers ASAP.
If you are resisting their recommendations (such as with the outpatient program) please remember that they are trying to help you be you again. You need to do everything in your power, and your husband needs to do everything in his, to get you well.
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I agree with @Jennibenni:
The criteria is two or more relatives with prostate or pancreatic cancer. I think it is a GIANT LEAP to assume you have a gene mutation based solely on your father's history.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/brca-gene-test/about/pac-20384815 -
My grandmother had stage 4 ovarian cancer at 70+ years old, and beat it. Its not something I worry about - all you can do is control the things you CAN control, go to the dr for your annual appointments, and live your life.
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@CatchAFallingStar: My family has Lynch syndrome. it's not great. But there are tests now that are available to anyone with a family history of cancer that even your primary physical can order for you--it's just a simple blood test. I had a MyRisk test through Myriad to find out if I have Lynch (my motivation was to know if I should have my kids tested as well, and to get myself on a schedule of the correct types of check ups). It was pretty simple and I had my genetic results in 2 weeks.
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@Anagram: Another Lynch Syndrome here. I’m positive as is almost every other adult in my family. Curious because you mentioned testing your kids. We‘ve been told repeatedly no testing before 18, did you find a genetic counselor who was willing to run the test?
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@CatchAFallingStar: I have a gene mutation but the specific mutation was known before I was tested. Do you know that your father had a mutation? In our family at least there was a history a mile wide. I’m not sure a single instance of cancer would be cause to test. If it’s stressing you out though you could always reach out to a genetic counselor and discuss options. The first diagnosis is the hardest but if you were to get a positive they would know exactly what to look for in your siblings, other family members, etc.
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You all can also order 23andMe or Ancestry Health, if you're not worried about the privacy / data concerns. Then you run the data through Promethease. It won't catch everything, but it's an entry point.
You ALSO could find out that your dad is not your bio father, like me
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In my case, would you have the BRCA testing done? @josina: @kiddosc:
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I wouldn’t recommend BRCA testing for you if the only family history is your dad. All men would eventually develop prostate cancer if they lived long enough. It’s very very common.
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@CatchAFallingStar: No.
There are a lot of genes that would increase your risk for a whole bunch of different cancers... increase your risk, not guarantee that you'd get cancer. You can't get tested for them all. They use these criteria determining who should be tested for a reason, and you don't fit the criteria. One relative with cancer does not mean a whole lot in the genetics world.
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@CatchAFallingStar: No.
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@CatchAFallingStar: This level of worry is not normal. I’ve seen you switch the focus of anxiety over the past year from one thing to the next, but the answer is the same throughout - this is unhealthy anxiety completely divested from the reality of your health and wellness. I know you have indicated that you are seeking therapy and medication and I encourage you to keep looking for a provider and a medicine that will work if the current is not. I strongly suggest you seek a therapist who is a behavioralist and will give you strategies for how to retrain your behavioral responses when your anxiety spikes - preferably someone with experience in medical anxiety.
If this sounds blunt, it’s because it is. I don’t want to sound harsh, but I won’t feed into this behavior by talking about BRCA mutations or prostate cancer because truly this isn’t the issue here - your mental health is. I truly hope you find the support you need in this and that 2020 brings peace for you and your family.
With love
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@JCCovi: Some doctors will do it earlier. It depends on the doctor and the family history--I'm in a Lynch syndrome group where some people have gotten it as early as 14 (with a sibling diagnosed at age 22 with stage 4 colon cancer). In our case, my brother was first diagnosed at age 19 and his tumor was softball sized and was suspected to have been growing for a while. So I would probably want my own kids tested as early as possible so we could start routine screenings.
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@CatchAFallingStar: With a lot of empathy for you (and as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety as well), I agree with @Jennibenni: and @skiierchck99: and thank them for saying this.
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@Anagram: Wow sounds like testing earlier is the way to go for your kids. Our earliest family diagnosis is early 30s so they push us to start colonoscopies and other screens by 25 at the latest. My husband wants to get the kids tested early just from a ‘’knowledge is power’’ standpoint but so far no ones been willing to test them.
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