Positive Genetic Test for Breast Cancer

If you recently received a positive genetic test for the genetic marker for breast cancer, you may wonder what you should do with this information.  Your first thought may be, “OH NO… How long do I have to live?”  The good news is that having the genetic marker doesn’t mean that you have the disease or that you will ever actually come down with it.  Having the genetic marker for breast cancer simply means that you susceptible to it and may end up with it.

Using Your Genetic Test Results

So what do you do with this information?  The first thing you need to do is give yourself a pat on the back for being proactive with your health.  Now that you know that you are susceptible to breast cancer, you can change your lifestyle and healthcare plan to ensure that you detect breast cancer at the very first signs.  Early detection is crucial in the treatment of breast cancer.  The earlier that it is found, the easier it is to treat making the success rate of recovery much higher.

Make an appointment with your physician and share your genetic test results with him or her.  Depending on your test results and family history, your physician will be able to set you up with regular blood tests with an oncologist.

If you haven’t been giving yourself breast exams, you need to start now that you know you might end up with breast cancer in the future.  If you are unsure of what to look for or how to check yourself, you can ask your physician to show you.  It’s important you do this every month and if you feel any lumps or abnormalities, contact your doctor immediately.

While there may not be much you can do to prevent the disease, you can take the above steps to identify it before it gets out of control.  Many women beat breast cancer and go on to live long healthy lives.  You are now ahead of the game with genetic testing and should have even more confidence that if you do suffer from breast cancer, you will beat it, and continue to live for many more years!

(photo credit: zoha_n)

May 11th, 2009 by Marcelina Hardy | Posted in Genetic Testing | (1)