Genetic Breast Cancer Testing Brings Controversy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fd5DPW8U9U&feature=player_embedded

Key Ideas:

• NewsCenter 5's medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson reported that testing positive for the BRCA 1 or 2 gene can be devastating news
• A positive test result can force women to make terribly difficult decisions. Some choose to have a prophylactic double mastectomy and remove their ovaries to significantly lower their risk.
• Judy Garber, a genetics specialist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, said not all patients should have BRACAnalysis.
• Even if the test comes back negative, women are not off the hook because only a small percentage of cancers have a genetic cause.
• Even if the test is positive, the chance that your child will also be a carrier is 50/50.

Reflection

I chose this story because breast cancer has been passed on from generation to generation on my dad’s side of the family, so it has a special meaning to me. It was interesting to learn about because I now know to talk to a specialist in breast cancer if I am ever diagnosed with it when I get older. This story was about a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer and how she reacted to it. She felt the lump when she was breastfeeding her son, and she was devastated by the news. If a person was diagnosed with breast cancer, this says that they should talk to a specialist about having a genetic test. If they follow through with the testing, they should be informed about the risks that go along with it. This course helped me to understand this topic because we studied cancer.

MLA: "Genetic Breast Cancer Testing Brings Controversy - Health News Story - WCVB Boston." Boston News, Massachusetts News, Weather & Sports, Channel 5 TV - WCVB TheBostonChannel.com. 9 & 10 Oct. 2007. Web. http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/14300655/detail.html.