Have you been tested for the cancer gene?

[KnottedYet]

I'm reading more about BRCA1 and BRCA2 this morning than I've read in ages.

Seems like having one of the cancers influenced by these two genes before age 30 is a big warning sign.

My cancer (one influenced by BRCA2) was in my mid 20's. Been getting my mammos since my mid 30's, so that's pretty well covered. Scandinavians have higher rates of BRCA2 mutation (oopsy). I'm not Ashkenazi Jew and there's no history of ovarian cancer in my family, so I'm not likely to have BRCA1 mutations.

Really, a lot of the personal statistics can be worked out before taking the test, and the test would be a piece of data to add to your personal statistics.

Only something like 10% of breast cancers are linked to BRCA mutations, that means 90% of breast cancers are wild cards. (feel your boobies! http://ww5.komen.org/content.aspx?id=5310 )

However, something like 60% of women with known BRCA mutations develop breast cancer. And if a woman with a BRCA mutation has already had that mutation express itself with a cancer, that percentage goes up.