Pretty is What Changes

I recently read a book by Jessica Queller, a writer for the Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, and currently, Gossip Girls. The book is entitled "Pretty is What Changes" and is Jessica's personal story of finding that she has inherited the BRCA gene mutation which put her at extraordinary risk for breast and ovarian cancer, both of which her mothered suffered from and ultimately died from ovarian cancer. It chronicles her heart-wrenching discovery and the decisions she made to greatly decrease her chances of having these cancers, including removing both her breasts and ultimately to have her ovaries removed as well. This is not something that most of us think about on a regular basis, but it is important nonetheless. It is important to women AND men and sometimes affects entire families. I wanted to share with everyone information about the genetic test that Jessica took that saved her life and could save yours as well. It is a test that unfortunately is still not well known by most people but is getting more attention thanks to people like Christina Applegate who also had the test but after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.


Having just come off of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I wanted to talk to everyone about a very important issue. Many people do not realize or take the time to think about the pain and devastation that breast and ovarian cancer causes nor do they realize that there is a connection between the two. About 10% of breast cancers diagnosed are due to hereditary causes, and mutations on a gene called BRCA1/BRCA2 account for the majority of these hereditary breast/ovarian cancers. It is extremely important to identify individuals with this “broken gene” for several reasons. #1 BRCA gene mutation carriers have up to an 87% lifetime risk of breast cancer and up to a 44% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer, #2) after a BRCA gene mutation carrier is affected with breast cancer, they still have a 10-fold increased risk of ovarian cancer. By identifying these “broken gene” carriers, we can not only obtain very valuable and lifesaving information for the carrier, but for their family members who may be affected as well. MEN- remember that you can also carry this gene and pass it on to your children. This is not just something that affects women. Men can also get breast cancer. Surveillance and treatment options for patients with this gene mutation are very different from the rest of the population because their risk is so much higher. If you have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer or have ever been diagnosed with one of these cancers personally, you may qualify for the genetic test called BRAC Analysis. While it is a very expensive test, we are finding that if you meet the high risk criteria, insurance companies are PAYING for this test as they would much rather pay for this than to treat a cancer which is extraordinarily expensive. This test can SAVE LIVES! If you are interested or have questions about the test, please contact me or your health care provider or go to www.myriad.com.

Jodi