Normally I know these blogs can be wordy, lengthy and include extraneous information – today, not the case.
The blood drawn for Bonnie’s genetic testing results have come back.
RESULTS: NEGATIVE
This is INCREDIBLE news for her, for me, and for our two girls.
A BRCA1/BRCA2 gene is defined as:
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that belong to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors.
In normal cells, BRCA1 and BRCA2 help ensure the stability of the cell’s genetic material (DNA) and help prevent uncontrolled cell growth. Mutation of these genes has been linked to the development of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
The names BRCA1 and BRCA2 stand for breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 and breast cancer susceptibility gene 2, respectively.
Additional information:
Not all gene changes, or mutations, are deleterious (harmful). Some mutations may be beneficial, whereas others may have no obvious effect (neutral). Harmful mutations can increase a person’s risk of developing a disease, such as cancer.
A woman’s lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Such a woman has an increased risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer at an early age (before menopause) and often has multiple, close family members who have been diagnosed with these diseases. Harmful BRCA1 mutations may also increase a woman’s risk of developing cervical, uterine, pancreatic, and colon cancer. Harmful BRCA2 mutations may additionally increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, gallbladder and bile duct cancer, and melanoma.
This means her ovaries are SAFE and the girls are SAFE for inheriting the gene. They both know the importance of early testing, etc., as I hope everyone reading this has … my hands are literally trembling as I type this AND IN A GOOD WAY.
Bonnie’s readying herself for the trip to her Plastic Surgeon; Dr. Cynthia Goodman for drain removal and maybe another injection of saline … maybe not. She really likes wearing a t-shirt without a bra. Finally … she gets what she’s always wanted … NO BRA!!
Or was that my wish?
Either way – today’s news is a win-win.
Papa
Papa
Reference: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA
