How I Got Ahead of Cancer After Learning About my BRCA2 Mutation By Beth Kuhn

May 22, 2018 Katharine Lord

After watching my mom and aunt battle bilateral breast cancer, which included chemotherapy, radiation, mastectomies and all the physical and emotional anguish that accompanies it, I learned that I carry a BRCA2gene mutation. It runs in our family.

I was told that my inherited BRCA2 mutation means that I have up to an 87% chance of having breast cancer in my lifetime and up to an 18% chance of having ovarian cancer. At age 43 I had a naive sense of invincibility when it came to my health. “Athletes don’t get cancer!” I reasoned. Receiving this news felt like a curse! I was angry!

Winning the Genetic Lottery by Megan Peters

March 21, 2018 Katharine Lord

My gut told me for years that I could have a genetic mutation predisposing me to cancer. My healthy mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer when she was 37. Although she was the first in our family to have breast cancer, she seemed too young in my mind to have the disease. Insurance would cover my genetic testing when I turned 35, but before I got the chance to schedule that after my birthday, my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was quickly given the genetic test, which revealed two mutations.