Risk of breast cancer when grandmother had mastectomy?!
Question: I just learnt my 90 yr old grandmother battled breast cancer..i think in the 1980's. then 12 yrs ago she had a partial mastectomy as it came back. She is alive and well. I am in my early 30's. what are my risk of developing it as well? any links with statistical info would be great. Thanks.
Answers: I just learnt my 90 yr old grandmother battled breast cancer..i think in the 1980's. then 12 yrs ago she had a partial mastectomy as it came back. She is alive and well. I am in my early 30's. what are my risk of developing it as well? any links with statistical info would be great. Thanks.
It is difficult to quote exact values, as your risk of breast cancer depends on a variety of factors. Firstly, the age of onset of your grandmother. Early-onset breast cancer is more suggestive of an inherited cause. Your grandmother had it when she was about 70 years old, which isn't early onset.
Secondly, breast cancer is considered by doctors to be inherited when you have 2 first-degree family members (sisters, mother, grandmother) with breast cancer spanning 2 generations. Do you have anyone else in that group with breast cancer?
Thirdly, recurrent breast cancer is suggestive of an inherited cancer. You said your grandmother's cancer came back. Was it in the same or different breast? If it's in the same breast, it could be due to incomplete removal the previous time, but if it's in the other one, then there may be some factor predisposing her to breast cancer.
For most women, a yearly mammogram is recommended after age 40. However, those with a family history of breast cancer may choose to start screening earlier using ultrasound. For women with a family history of breast cncer, it is recommended that women start screening 5 years before the earliest age of onset of cancer in their relatives.
Any type of female related cancer seems to follow along genetic lines. You should probably consult your Gynecologist about starting yearly mammograms earlier than most women. The fact that your grandmother had multiple bouts of breast cancer should be a warning to you.
The American Cancer Society has the statistics you seek but no matter what the statistics are you should take any actions to catch even the smallest group of cells before they can expand and cause you to follow your grandmothers path towards partial mastectomy or worse.
Today's technology is better suited to catch anything at an earlier stage than in your grandmothers day.
Please do this for yourself and those who love you and who you love.
Is it your mom's mom or dad's mom? ANy of your grandmother's daughters have breast cancer? What about your Granny's sisters?
And yes, you are at risk. But you know, I have to be honest, everyone is at risk for lots and LOTS of things.
Stay healthy and exercise daily.
xo
Only 5 - 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary.
As you don't mention any other relatives that have had breast cancer it is very probable that your grandmother's cancer was random, like most cases of breast cancer, especially as she was apparently over 50 when first diagnosed.
Her oncologist will have been able to tell her whether hers was hereditary - my oncologist was able to assure me mine was not, and none of the women and girls in my largely female family and extended family are at increased risk of getting it.
That is the information you need; although it seems likely your grandmother's cancer was random like mine.
You can find more information by doing a search on these two excellent sites:
http://www.breastcancer.org
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk
Good luck
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