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Topic: Family history

Forum: High Risk for Breast Cancer — Due to family history, genetics, or other factors.

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Posted on: Oct 8, 2020 12:28PM

Addy32310 wrote:

I don't really know what I'm looking for here. I just feel like I need to talk. I'm 31 years old. My mom died when I was 21 at 53 years old from metastatic breast cancer. She was first diagnosed at 39/40 and had a lumpectomy and chemo and was in remission then at 51 she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She was adopted so we never new her family history but I've found her birth parents and found out her birth mother died at 55 from metastasized breast/ovarian cancer. I've gotten yearly mammograms since 26 and this year I started MRI every year as well. So every 6 month I'm getting either a mammogram or MRI. I also had genetic testing and everything was negative. My fathers side of the family has about 30 people who have or had cancer. From colon to bladder to pancreatic to lung. So about a month and a half ago I noticed the left side of my upper breast was different. It feels like a lump but bigger. I had a mammogram and ultrasound and the radiologist feels the lump but can't see anything except heterogeneous bands of fibroglandular tissue. She said if it gets bigger or harder I need to be scanned again ASAP. My oncologist is sending me to see a surgeon because I'm terrified of sitting and waiting. I just want a prophylactic mastectomy so I don't have to get testing all the time and sit here worried all the time. My mom found out the 2nd time when it was too late. She was also negative for genes and so is my half sister that is her daughter.

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Oct 8, 2020 02:41PM Moderators wrote:

Hi Addy, and welcome to Breastcancer.org,

We're so very sorry for the worries that bring you here, and to hear about the passing of your mother. We know you must be very concerned and wondering what is the next best step. There are always members here willing to weigh in with their stories and experience, and we hope some will be by soon to offer some information, advice, and support.

We're all here for you while you navigate these hard choices and we wish you the best! Please keep us posted with what you decide and how we can help.

--The Mods

To send a Private Message to the Mods: community.breastcancer.org/mem...
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Nov 16, 2020 01:33PM Crojas1221 wrote:

Hi Addy,

Your post is from a while back, but I hope your anxiety has diminished? Not knowing is the absolute worst. I had preventative hysterectomy and mastectomy because of BRCA2. I really feel for friends with strong family histories, but no identified gene. Makes the waters murkier...

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Nov 17, 2020 07:01AM Salamandra wrote:

Hi Addy,

I was also 20 when my mom died from metastatic cancer. I tested negative for the BRCA mutation but after that I wasn't careful like you are about getting scans. I was lucky that my gyn caught my lump in a manual breast exam was diagnosed when I was 39.

It was massively triggering and I was terrified. But my situation was very different from my mom's and my treatment was different, and it's a couple years later now and I'm mostly fine. I went to a great cancer center and followed the advice of my doctors, which was a lumpectomy with radiation followed by hormone treatment, and I'm feeling good about all that.

Our mothers' destinies are not ours. Everything is harder without them, but you got this. Hang in there!

Dx at 39. 1.8cm. Oncotype 9. Dx 9/19/2018, IDC, Right, 1cm, Stage IA, Grade 2, 0/3 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2- (FISH) Surgery 10/17/2018 Lumpectomy; Lymph node removal: Sentinel Hormonal Therapy 11/1/2018 Tamoxifen pills (Nolvadex, Apo-Tamox, Tamofen, Tamone) Radiation Therapy 12/3/2018 Whole-breast: Breast Hormonal Therapy 12/18/2019 Fareston (toremifene)

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