Cancer. It seems so prevalent. Or it does to me, considering both my grandmothers have gotten breast cancer, making it more likely that I will one day get breast cancer as well. And considering going through my news feeds, about 1/4 of the topics are about cancer in some way, shape or form. Two things are making me write this blog now. First, a study that just came out of Israel about BRCA genes (I'll get to that later, don't worry), and my shadowing experience on Monday.
I shadowed a radiation oncologist on Monday. So basically, I followed around a physician that prescribes radiation treatment following the diagnosis of cancer. I somehow managed to call the only woman radiation oncologist in the city (there are apparently six total), and so most of her patients are breast cancer patients. I got to see a lot of women dealing with the after effects of getting this cancer.
But one intrigued me the most. She hadn't had chemotherapy yet, because they hadn't yet determined whether or not she needed it (long story there, I'm not going into it), so she was planning on radiation treatment just in case she didn't get chemotherapy. Well, she was also getting her cancer cells screened for the BRCA genes.
There are two BRCA genes (1 and 2), and they code for an increased susceptibility in getting breast cancer, as well as ovarian cancer. The physician I shadowed said that she once had a patient that got breast cancer, then later got a completely new ovarian cancer, and that made it highly probable that she had both genes, though she had never been tested. Many women, I've heard, opt to get double mastectomies (complete removal of the breast tissue) upon hearing that they test positive for one of the genes. Many insurance plans will not cover breast cancer in women who choose to keep their breasts after hearing this news. As such, it's a very life-changing test to get.
This makes me wonder. I might have a breast cancer gene, considering both my grandmothers have gotten the disease. If I get tested, my insurance may refuse to cover treatment, should I test positive for the genes and refuse to give up my breast tissue. That's an incredibly scary possibility. Especially with the high cost of treatment. Surgery to remove the cancer tissue, chemotherapy to kill other cancer cells, and radiation treatment to prevent it from coming back, plus physical therapy to keep my muscles working. Then there's complications like lymphedema (swelling of the arms) and other pains.
Should we put that much stock in two genes that may or may not cause cancer? Especially since the survival rate could mean a better chance of survival with these genes? Or will these findings change the way the genes are looked at all?
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