Up on My Soapbox Again

Sometimes I just have to get up on my Women's health soapbox. As an OB/Gyn RN, I am constantly looking for new educational tools and products to help keep our patients better informed of the issues they may encounter. Today, our BRCA representative came by the office and gave me some information on a newer non-profit organization that specifically caters to women in their 20-30s.

For those of you who do not know, BRCA is a genetic screening for the breast cancer gene. We all have a BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene in our bodies to specifically help our ovarian and breast cells from developing malignant cells. We all receive two sets of these genes from our parents, so even if one doesn't work, we have back up genes. However, some individuals are born with mutations to these genes, which puts them at higher risk than the average person of developing breast or ovarian cancer. The BRCA test looks at your DNA to determine if you have the above mentioned gene mutation. We determine a patient's risk of having a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation by family and personal history. If you have incidence of breast or ovarian cancer in your family or if you personally have a history of breast or ovarian cancer, the BRCA test might be suggested by your doctor. If you test positive for the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation, it can increase your risk of breast cancer up to 87% or of ovarian cancer up to 54%. Considering that the average female has a 7-12% risk of breast cancer and a 1-2% risk of ovarian cancer, these can be very staggering figures. Armed with your results, you can choose to either start mammograms and other screening tests early or choose to have an elective mastectomy and oopherectomy (removal of the ovaries). The thought behind this test is that it allows women to be more proactive in screening for breast cancer or in choosing to have the potentially problematic organs removed. My office has started doing this testing in the past few months and our patients really like it. If you have a family history where all the women have had breast cancer, it might be beneficial to know your chances up front.

Anyway, I digress. The organization that I learned about today was called Bright Pink. They are a non-profit organization that was started by a 20-something women and it focuses on addressing the breast and ovarian cancer issues that young women face. Since our chances of developing breast or ovarian cancer are smaller at this age, some women feel like they do not need testing. Bright Pink encourages women who qualify to have the BRCA test to have it done and encourages all women to have do monthly self-breast exams, have yearly pap and breast exams, start mammograms at 40, and live a healthy lifestyle. They have hip, fun events and even their brochure is super cute. I would recommend all my blogging friends to visit their website and take a look around. They have some good information and it is worth taking a peek at.

The website is http://www.bebrightpink.org/

Also, here is a poem written by a patient who tested positive for the BRCA gene. She was not my patient personally, but I thought it was encouraging.

Today was like finding a lump in my breast
I received the news from my genetic test
My doctor said; "I'm sorry" but you have the gene
The blood test confirmed what hadn't been seen
I know I'll do whatever it takes...to prevent the inevitable
There is too much at stake
So many I've lost, if only they'd known
They should have been able to see their children grown
Cancer now has become a fact
A number the next generation will track
But I'm blessed for this gift I've been given this year
It will make such a difference to those I hold dear
In life I know there is not a guarantee
But, with this knowledge
I now feel free.

-Anonymous-