6 Genetic Testing Stories

Testing Positive "Instead of making me scared of the possibility of developing other cancers, I left feeling empowered that now I have more people looking out for me and tools in place to monitor my health."

Strong Family History "When I was given my genetic testing results, my oncologist and genetic counselor enthusiastically congratulated me on my negative results. But before I could even take a breath and enjoy that moment, they said, 'However, you are still at increased risk because of family history.'"

Prophylactic Surgery "Because of my search about my grandfather, I found out about this possible life-saving information! […] I chose to have the prophylactic surgeries: double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and my BSO (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy)."

Family and Insurance Issues "My sister wants to be tested and is appealing the insurance/Medicare denial of coverage. I don’t think my brother has been tested, and neither have my first, second, or third cousins... I have given them all the information I have. You can lead a horse to water..."

Variants of Unknown Significance "I found out that I have a genetic mutation that has not been researched yet so it is called a [variant] of unknown significance... Knowing that I have a genetic mutation but not knowing anything else about the mutation is very stressful and anxiety-provoking."

Testing Negative "The results came back negative for the BRCA1 & 2 mutations and any [variants of unknown significance]. […] Do I resent having had to go through all this worry for the 2 weeks it took to get my results? Not at all. Knowledge is power, either way it turns out."

Up next: 9 Reasons to Consider Breast Cancer Genetic Testing

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