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About Your Genetic Test
Because you reported a positive genetic test, you should speak with your doctor about your genetic test results. Depending on your result, you may need more cancer screenings or may wish to consider risk-reducing double mastectomy instead of top surgery.
What do my genetic test results mean for my chest cancer risk?
You reported a genetic mutation in one of the genes we listed (BARD1, BRCA1, BRCA2, CDH1, CHEK2, NF1, PALB2, PTEN, RAD51C, RAD51D, STK11, and TP53). This means that you should talk to your doctor about your test results and cancer prevention. Your risk of developing cancer depends on the exact result of your test. You may have an increased chance for chest cancer. If this is the case, you should get more chest cancer screenings or consider a risk-reducing double mastectomy instead of top surgery. Depending on how you got your test, you may need a clinical lab to repeat the test and confirm the results.
You also reported a personal or family history of cancers that are related to chest cancer. When you talk to your doctor about your genetic test results, be sure to also tell them about this family history. It may impact their guidance about screenings and surgeries.
You may also want to talk to a genetic counselor to help you make decisions about screening and surgery that match your goals and values. Talking to your primary care provider about a referral is the best way to find out if you can see a genetic counselor about these decisions. You can also find genetic counselors near you here:
If you have been impacted by cancer or cancer risk, there are resources that can connect you to support. Here are organization with affinity groups that may be helpful, in their own words.
- The Breasties: “The first all-inclusive nonprofit organization that creates community for survivors, previvors, stage 4 thrivers, and caregivers impacted by breast and gynecologic cancers.”
- FORCE (Facing Hereditary Cancer Empowered): A nonprofit organization that “improves the lives of the millions of individuals and families facing hereditary breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal and endometrial cancers.”
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