Most cases of breast cancer in the United States occur in women with no family history of the disease. For these women, regular breast exams and mammography will suffice. But women bearing the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations must consider extra measures. These women, including the most recent celebrity to deal with this, Angelina Jolie, have an 87 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a 44 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer (Rox Cancer Center) The decision to have a preventative mastectomy — single or double — is never easy, but the numbers are a good place to start when considering your plans.
On May 14, 2013, Academy Award-winning actress and noted humanitarian Angelina Jolie revealed in an op-ed in the New York Times that she had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. Several factors played into her decision, including her mother’s death from breast cancer and, perhaps most notably, the results of a genetic test that showed she carried the faulty BRCA1 gene. Women with this gene face a dramatically higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and a double mastectomy is often the first step for women who want to head off this possibility.
As an international superstar, Angelina Jolie set off a domino reaction across the globe. Her announcement opened up an extensive dialogue around the world with her actions, shining the spotlight on a topic that had previously garnered little attention outside of specific doctors’ offices, typically addressed only by those who had already suffered the devastating effects of a diagnosis, either firsthand or through a relative.
And now, like millions of other women, you may also have been moved by Angelina Jolie’s bulletin and are wondering if you should undergo genetic testing for the BRCA1 gene.
The first step is to look at your family’s medical history, which may require you sit down for frank discussions with your close relatives, particularly first-degree relations (mother, sister, daughter) or second-degree relations (grandmother, granddaughter, aunt, niece). Once you have gathered as much info as possible, you can take a hereditary cancer quiz to determine your risk for carrying this gene mutation: Rox Cancer Center Quiz..
The next step is to consult with your doctor and see if you are a sound candidate for genetic testing. It may be of some comfort to know that in this realm of life-changing news and difficult decisions, the genetic testing itself is simple. If you are at risk, you will simply rinse your mouth with a solution and spit the contents into a test tube. The material is then sent to a lab to be tested for the breast cancer mutation, with the results arriving in about two weeks. Women most at risk of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation will have the costs covered by insurance.
Call for a Consultation!
The Rox Cancer Center in Beverly Hills, founded by Dr. Andrew Ordon (The Doctors) and run by Dr. Travis Kidner, offers genetic testing; consultations can be scheduled through the Rox’s patient care coordinator Jenny at 310.703-7115.
In fact, the Rox Cancer Center can address more of your questions around prophylactic mastectomies, including screenings, biopsies, and more.
Rox Center also have the most accomplished board-certified plastic surgeons for restoring your breasts after cancer surgery.
Angelina Jolie has raised the issue of BRCA1, BRCA2, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, preventative mastectomies, and women’s health. If you have ever harbored these same concerns, now is the time to act. Your answers may be as close as the Rox Cancer Center in Beverly Hills and a simple genetic test, the cost of which is typically covered by insurance if you are a high-risk individual. Now you have no excuse to become yet another statistic.
www.RoxCancerCenter.com
The Rox Cancer Center Beverly Hills is located at:
120 South Spalding Drive Suite 340, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Phone: 310.275.5074 Fax: 310.861.1436
