Genetic tesing ?

My oncologist recommended
My oncologist recommended genetic testing shortly after diagnosis and my insurance at the time approved it. I opted not too, due to concerns of insurance discriminating in future if a genetic basis was found. Later, out of concern for family members to know one way or the other I checked into it again. New insurance denied it but I checked on cost with genetic counselling office and they told me if i paid for consult and they found testing to be indicated it would be paid for. However, I did have enough indicators to consider it a possibility and the testing was paid for. Tests were negative yet results come with a caveat that this was only 'known genetic factors' nor could it address any environmental factors that could have affected other family members. However, I was thrilled to share the negative finding with my family.

genetic testing
My mother had breast cancer and I have been diagnosed with PPC. The doctor suggested genetic testing and I agreed and had it done. Mine was positive. The insurance paid for it. They cannot hold it against you when you get health insurance or for employment issues. It may affect your ability to get life insurance and disability insurance so you need to have that in place before you have the testing done. Since the mutation has been identified on my gene the testing will be cheaper for my family (brothers, sisters, neices, cousins etc.)as they only have to look for that mutation.
Knowing I am positive will help the doctors to pick chemos that are effective against any recurrance I may have as the cancer from the mutation gives off certain proteins that are treated with specific chemos.
If you have no family history of cancer insurance may be reluctant to pay. I think the majority of cancers are not of genetic origin. All of this info is as I understand it from my experience. I suggest you talk with your doctor to get the facts. Hope this helps a little.

When I was first diagnosed I
When I was first diagnosed I thought, "OMG I am the first with cancer in my family." Then I started asking questions. Then it was "OMG what kind of cancer have we not had?"

My 1st line cousins have had colon, stomach, and lung cancer. At least those that we know about. We are a huge family. It would be interesting to know what else we might have ongoing. We are littered with cancer. I wonder if we were exposed enviromentally to something.

My grandmother is in her late 90's. She is in full dementia and poor health. She complains her abdomen hurts all the time. The doctors give her pain meds. They have done some investigational procedures but have found nothing. They figure there is something wrong up in the harder to reach areas of the intestines. Her age and health make most preocedures so high risk that they treat her pallatively.

Despite this getting people in my family to take cancer seriously is hard. Before I was diagnosed I screamed from the roof tops to the women in the family to get checked for PCOS. I think the healthcare system does not encourage prevention. I know most of the family....well all but a handfull can't afford preventative care.