High Risk for Breast Cancer?

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/high-risk-for-breast-cancer.html

posted by Dr. Brent Oct 16, 2008 7:00 am

filed under: Health & Wellness, Ask Dr. Brent, Breast Cancer, breast cancer, mutation, risk

Q: My mother had a mastectomy at age 63 and continues to do well. My sister had a mastectomy (one sentinel node positive) at age 43. My sister and I share a BrCa1 gene mutation, but it is not a standard one, and no one knows what it means. My mom doesn’t have that gene mutation. I had my first child at 34. I have no other risk factors that I know of. Do you think I should be followed with MRIs or standard digital mammography? I really appreciate your answer.

A: If you were my patient, I would consider you at high risk for developing breast cancer based on your family history.

The current recommendations by the American Cancer Society for the use of breast MRI suggest that the breast MRI should be used in any woman with a known BRCA mutation or any woman who has a 20 percent or greater lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

Dr. Brent Ridge is the health expert for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. You can call and ask him a question live every Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 112 (1.866.675.6675). You can also follow along as he learns to grow his own food and raise goats on his farm in upstate New York by visiting www.beekman1802.com.

Got a health question for Dr. Brent? E-mail him at drbrent@care2.com.

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3 comments add your comment

Ingrid Khan says
Nov 8, 2009 7:38 AM

We will never find a cure for cancer but should find a way of preventing it e.g. replace dairy products i.e. stop drinking animal milk which is meant for animal babies. Look at our nutrition, most physicians have had no training in nutrition and follow pharmaceutical advice. Look at the dangers of chemotherapy and radiation. It should be made mandatory to undergo thermography rather than mammography, here again most physicians are not aware of the ratio of dangers of mammography and the benefits of thermography, the latter being non-invasive, to be used on all age groups i.e. babies onwards unlike mammography etc etc

send green star

Rita C. says
Oct 22, 2009 7:01 AM

I was diagnosed with breast cancer "Carcinoma insitue" at the age of 71 after having taken Hormone Replacement Therapy for 15yrs. I had a complete mastectomy, and did not require chemo or radiation, but I did refuse to take tamoxifin, I am now a 5yr, survivor

send green star

Vural K. says
Jun 15, 2009 2:52 AM

thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner

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