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Genetic Testing - Go for it!
To any newcomers, I would like to share my experience with Genetic counseling/testing. I went in thinking that my insurance would not pay for the genetic testing for the BRACA 1 and 2 genes. I met with the genetic counselor. They drew the blood that day for the DNA testing. It was then forwarded to the company that performs the actual testing. They then contacted the insurance carrier for pre-authorization. My insurance carrier approved the testing, and I had the results within weeks of my blood being drawn. I understand the test costs in the neighborhood of $3,000 which is a huge out-of-pocket expense. If you are considering the genetic testing, consult with your oncologist who will make the referral. I know I am blessed that I currently have good insurance coverage; however, if you are contemplating the genetic testing, do not prematurely assume your insurance will not cover it. I also spent a lot of time on the family medical history which also may have impacted the pre-authorization. My maternal grandmother also had BC and I have a brother with Prostate Cancer. Fortunately, my three older sisters have had no diagnosis of any cancer. I have an adult daughter, and I wanted the information so we knew whether or not we needed to be more aggressive with her screenings for early detection.
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- Diagnosis 06/06 - Stage II-A BC; BC was 2.5 cm, grade 2; ER/PR negative & HER-2/neu positive;
- Mastectomy w/ reconstruction (implant) in 09/06;lymph nodes - negative;
- AC/Cytoxin combo - 4 treatments (dose dense);
- Taxol/Herceptin combo- 12 weekly treatments;
- Completed chemo - 2/07; completed restruction 02/07; reduction of left breast.
- BRCA 1 and 2 negative - 6/15/07;DX high risk for distant recurrence
- MRI, 08/02/07 - NED
- 1 year Anniversary - 09/07; completed Herceptin 11/07.
- Mammo 02/14/08 - NED; MRI - 08/2008 - NED
- 2 year Anniversary - 09/08
- Mammo 02/09 - NED; MRI - 08/09 - NED
- 3rd year Anniversary - 09/09
- 5th Annivery - 09/2011 - NED
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