I got my genetic testing results, BRCA plus a few more. Thankfully, its all negative, which is a huge relief. One of the worst things about getting breast cancer is realizing its more than the effect the disease will on you, or even the effect that losing you would have on your family your diagnosis means that your sisters, your mother, your daughter are at increased risk for breast cancer. Not that you getting cancer made it more likely that they would contract the disease but your cancer indicates that their risk may be higher than the general population. The thought of Kavya getting cancer makes me utterly crazed; I cant even think about it.
If Id tested positive for the BRCA and other cancer genes, their risk would be notably higher, and my risk for recurrence would be much higher too. That genetic difference might make the difference between having a lumpectomy or a prophylactic double mastectomy down the road. So not having those genes is truly excellent news.
That said, my having cancer means that my relatives still need to test sooner than they would have otherwise. My sisters shouldnt wait until their mid-40s for mammograms. Its hard to know what cancer testing and treatment will look like twenty-five years, but if nothing were to change, theyd be recommending that Kavya start screening mammograms in her early 30s. I cant think about that too hard.
Today, well celebrate the good news. No genetically-predisposed higher risk of breast or uterine cancer for any of us. Excellent. Onwards.