Daughters

heylady67
heylady67 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, I have had a lumpectomy and am currently doing Chemotherapy. They just sent in my gene test and if the gene test comes back positive my 21 year old daughter will need to get the test also. If it comes back positive for her, she will have to undergo a mastectomy and reconstruction. Does anyone else have a daughter that has had to undergo any of this and if so what would be your advice?

Comments

  • BethInAz
    BethInAz Member Posts: 203 Member
    #2
    Daughters
    Such a difficult thing to have to discuss with your daughter. But it could be lifesaving. I haven't had the gene test done, having been diagnosed at 54. But my daughters know they're at risk now and I've encouraged them to be tested early and be diligent in their breast exams and health checkups. My family doctor said that if her daughter were tested with the gene, she'd tell them to have children early if you want to nurse them - and then have the surgery. With the reconstruction possibility, it's not nearly as devastating physically - and she can hopefully live worry free! (My mother had double mastectomy in her 40s because of fibrocyctic disease... I wonder whether she would have contracted breast cancer if she'd kept her breasts...) Such a hard decision. I'll be eager to see if other ladies have had to go through this same situation. My prayers are with you.
    Beth
  • Sunrae
    Sunrae Member Posts: 808
    #3
    BethInAz said:

    Daughters
    Such a difficult thing to have to discuss with your daughter. But it could be lifesaving. I haven't had the gene test done, having been diagnosed at 54. But my daughters know they're at risk now and I've encouraged them to be tested early and be diligent in their breast exams and health checkups. My family doctor said that if her daughter were tested with the gene, she'd tell them to have children early if you want to nurse them - and then have the surgery. With the reconstruction possibility, it's not nearly as devastating physically - and she can hopefully live worry free! (My mother had double mastectomy in her 40s because of fibrocyctic disease... I wonder whether she would have contracted breast cancer if she'd kept her breasts...) Such a hard decision. I'll be eager to see if other ladies have had to go through this same situation. My prayers are with you.
    Beth

    I had the gene test done too
    I had the gene test done too because my mother died from bc but my cancer was totally different from what she had. Mine came back negative which I'm thankful for. I was told that if it came back positive even my sons would need to be tested so it would affect sons and daughters. Hoping that your test comes back negative and wishing you and your family the best.
  • kpspur
    kpspur Member Posts: 8
    #4
    I'm 24 years old with breast
    I'm 24 years old with breast cancer. I was diagnosed about 5 months ago at the age of 23. So it does happed to young women. I've gone through six rounds of chemo and right now recovering from a bilateral mastectomy. Radiation is the next step for me, and reconstruction within a year. I know it's a lot to deal with, for anyone, but tell your daughter not to be scared. With a history in her family now she needs to be cautious and check her breasts regularly. I hope the results come back negative. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #5
    Sunrae said:

    I had the gene test done too
    I had the gene test done too because my mother died from bc but my cancer was totally different from what she had. Mine came back negative which I'm thankful for. I was told that if it came back positive even my sons would need to be tested so it would affect sons and daughters. Hoping that your test comes back negative and wishing you and your family the best.

    Praying that your test comes
    Praying that your test comes back negative! Good luck to you and your family!
  • girls4444
    girls4444 Member Posts: 34
    #6
    daughters
    Myself and my sister were both diagnosed with breast cancer last year. We both have taken the gene test and they came back positive. My sisters daughter tested negative. I have four daughters, my oldest daughter tested positive and will have her ovaries removed within the next few months (this will reduce her chance of getting breast cancer to 10%) my second daughter is waiting on new insurance before she takes the test. My third and fourth daughters are 20 and 15 and will probably have the 20 year old tested when she comes home from college over the summer. I am not sure what to do about the 15 year old. It makes me sad for my daughters. I do hope they don't have the gene
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #7
    Gene testing
    This is a difficult topic, especially for young women with the gene but no sign of breast cancer. Please speak to a certified gentic counselor and make sure your daughter does the same. If she tests positive, is it not a foregone conclusion that she will have to have a mastectomy. She may choose to be carefully monitored. Depending on which gene she tests positive for, the risk of ovarian cancer may be more concerning since it is difficult to detect. Also please remember that mastectomy does not guarantee that a person will never get breast cancer. Your daughter has options. Good luck.

    Mimi
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #8
    Slow down
    Even if your daughter tests postive, she doesn't HAVE to have a prophylactic mastectomy. Positive test results tell us to carefully monitor someone, but these results alone do not dictate mastectomy. Your daughter is young. Also, no one HAS to have reconstruction. Many women do not choose it at all or choose to have it some time later. My point is that there are choices here. A genetic counselor can tell you at what age your daughter needs to undergo increased surveillance. I suggest that for your peace of mind you meet with a counselor and talk about risk and options. Best of luck to you. I, too, have a daughter and am awaiting my testing, so I know how scary this issue is.
  • heylady67
    heylady67 Member Posts: 2
    #9
    Christine Louise said:

    Slow down
    Even if your daughter tests postive, she doesn't HAVE to have a prophylactic mastectomy. Positive test results tell us to carefully monitor someone, but these results alone do not dictate mastectomy. Your daughter is young. Also, no one HAS to have reconstruction. Many women do not choose it at all or choose to have it some time later. My point is that there are choices here. A genetic counselor can tell you at what age your daughter needs to undergo increased surveillance. I suggest that for your peace of mind you meet with a counselor and talk about risk and options. Best of luck to you. I, too, have a daughter and am awaiting my testing, so I know how scary this issue is.

    came back negative :)
    The gene test came back positive, thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Time to wait to see what comes next.
  • kimmy101
    kimmy101 Member Posts: 12
    #10
    heylady67 said:

    came back negative :)
    The gene test came back positive, thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Time to wait to see what comes next.

    all my prayers for your family
    it is amazing how many ladies are affected by this. I found my bc due to high preventive testing. I am 44. I did the brac1 and brac 2 gene testing in 2008. both were negative. I have high risk of both breast and ovarian in my family.
    I hope and pray everything will work out for you all. think postive. even when i am miserable on the couch, while my 4 yr old daughter is playing, I smile. be strong.
    hugs :)
  • Dot53
    Dot53 Member Posts: 239 Member
    #11
    Makes you wonder.... My Mom
    Makes you wonder.... My Mom and both sisters had bc. I tested for the BRCA 1&2 in August, it came back negative. I was diagnosed with bc in Oct.... I asked the genetic counselor about my daughters and grandaughters and she said if tested they most likely wouldn't have the gene. So,if it is not genetic, how did all the women in my family get breast cancer?? and weirder still is that all 4 of us had it in our left breast... I think more research is needed...
  • ms_independent
    ms_independent Member Posts: 214
    #12
    Dot53 said:

    Makes you wonder.... My Mom
    Makes you wonder.... My Mom and both sisters had bc. I tested for the BRCA 1&2 in August, it came back negative. I was diagnosed with bc in Oct.... I asked the genetic counselor about my daughters and grandaughters and she said if tested they most likely wouldn't have the gene. So,if it is not genetic, how did all the women in my family get breast cancer?? and weirder still is that all 4 of us had it in our left breast... I think more research is needed...

    agree
    I agree more research is needed. I keep thinking the quote "if it quacks like a duck - it's probably a duck". I can't believe that so many in your family could be affected if there wasn't a genetic component. I think they only know how to test for a few mutant genes. And I think there's a lot of mutations they don't know how to test for. It hasn't been that many years that the BRAC 1 & 2 and the BART test have been available. Just because the tests weren't available doesn't mean the mutations didn't exist.

    I'll get off my soap box now. It just makes me crazy when they tell people it's not genetic because those 3 tests are negative.

    El
  • Christine Louise
    Christine Louise Member Posts: 426 Member
    #13
    Dot53 said:

    Makes you wonder.... My Mom
    Makes you wonder.... My Mom and both sisters had bc. I tested for the BRCA 1&2 in August, it came back negative. I was diagnosed with bc in Oct.... I asked the genetic counselor about my daughters and grandaughters and she said if tested they most likely wouldn't have the gene. So,if it is not genetic, how did all the women in my family get breast cancer?? and weirder still is that all 4 of us had it in our left breast... I think more research is needed...

    BRCAs not the only cancer genes
    They're the ones they can test for right now. There may -- probably is -- a genetic mutation for breast cancer in your family, they just can't identify that particular one yet. More research is needed, for sure!

    At least you all know that your children and grandchildren should be watched earlier and more closely than average people. Your family can be active in their surveillance.
  • heylady06
    heylady06 Member Posts: 3
    #14
    heylady67 said:

    came back negative :)
    The gene test came back positive, thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Time to wait to see what comes next.

    I am heylady67's daughter
    This post was suppose to say that the gene test came back negative...not positive. Sorry :) My mom is in between the 3rd and 4th Chemo. We go talk to a genetic counselor at the end of this month.
    We have alot of breast and ovarian cancer that runs in our family crazily so they are going to do a mastectomy with reconstruction and then take out her ovaries after that.
    King Laboratories in Washington I quess has been working with our family and next time my mom goes in for Chemo they are going to draw blood and FedEx it the the lab in Washington because they are saying that there is something, gene, cell, that is causing the cancer like that.
    Has anyone else worked with King Laboratories?
  • heylady06
    heylady06 Member Posts: 3
    #15
    heylady67 said:

    came back negative :)
    The gene test came back positive, thank you everyone for your prayers and support. Time to wait to see what comes next.

    I am heylady67's daughter
    This post was suppose to say that the gene test came back negative...not positive. Sorry :) My mom is in between the 3rd and 4th Chemo. We go talk to a genetic counselor at the end of this month.
    We have alot of breast and ovarian cancer that runs in our family crazily so they are going to do a mastectomy with reconstruction and then take out her ovaries after that.
    King Laboratories in Washington I quess has been working with our family and next time my mom goes in for Chemo they are going to draw blood and FedEx it the the lab in Washington because they are saying that there is something, gene, cell, that is causing the cancer like that.
    Has anyone else worked with King Laboratories?
  • reddebbb
    reddebbb Member Posts: 14
    #16
    brca gene
    i have the brca gene and my daughter is 31.....married , no kids. she's taking the brca test in may and she and her husband will have decisions to make. at 21, your daughter will also get genetic counseling....they will give her a lot of information and ultimatley these decisions are hers to make. she can be monitored with a mri instead of a mammography, which would be more effective. and there is a CA 125 blood test for ovarian cancer. good luck.

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