10 years later non BRCA ovarian cancer

Dakini52 · 02-17-2016, 02:35 PM

Gyn Onc's are very specialized. They do not treat breast cancer patients and focus only on other female cancers such as ovarian, vulvar, uterine, cervical and such. I guess any female cancer below the waist kind of describes it. They also manage the overall care of the patient including chemotherapy and surgery so they are quite different than an oncologist you would see for breast cancer.

Cathya · 02-17-2016, 02:46 PM

Debbie;

Wow. I only found this out when I asked about the BRCA testing as I had been told by my md that if I was positive that standard care is a double mystectomy. Does this apply to breast cancer oncologists as well? It wasn't my impression.

Also, Amy, I do not trust the BRCA testing results from 23andme as they only test the three most common mutations and not the thousands of others. My impression is you get what you pay for and they make their money selling genetic info to drug companys etc. Right or wrong this is my impression.

Take care,

Cathy

Jackie07 · 02-27-2016, 01:20 AM

Hi Cathy,

There is a Lynch Syndrome that put women in greater risks if their family has a history of cancer of the (brain), breast, Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma, digestive tracts or reproductive organs including ovaries.

I did the BRCA testing after a local-regional recurrence and reading/getting informed about the Jewish migration history in China (both my parents were from Southwestern China and their fathers were both merchants). The result of my test was only a Variant of Unknown Significance. After another family member (2nd Brother) received diagnosis and treatment for another Lynch Syndrome related cancer (Mother was diagnosed and treated for NHL when she was 75, 16 yeas before her passing from a stroke 2 1/2 years ago) while I was being treated for breast cancer recurrence, I requested and was approved for a hysterectomy and oophorectomy.

Never felt/looked better in my life!

Cathya · 02-29-2016, 05:56 PM

Hi Jackie;

I was tested for Lynch and it proved to be negative. My doctors think the VUS (like you have for Lynch) is the key but it could be years before it is confirmed. My 31 year old daughter is in the middle of a BC scare right now. She had a pinch I guess you would call it on the side of one breast and saw our doctor. She will be going for a mammogram next week and I pray it's nothing but these rare variations are not to be sneezed at.

You take care. I guess you need regular colonoscopies too?

This all stems from my fathers mothers family. She died in the 1930's when my dad was 13 and she in her early 50's. He only had one sister with children and we lost touch with them so I have no other information.

Cathy

Jackie07 · 02-29-2016, 08:51 PM

Certainly hope your daughter's mammogram result proves benign.

I had visited with the GI oncology surgeon at noon today. Supposedly to be a pre-op talk (as they'd already drawn a big tube of blood from my very 'hard-to-get-blood' left arm this morning) for the upcoming surgery on Wednesday. But she had found out about my brain (tumor) mri and brain specialist appointment on Friday. She contacted the neurosurgery department right away, but couldn't get them to move up the schedule. So she's going to wait till she's back from her two weeks spring break vacation (because she did not want to take any risks of my brain tumor situation - even though I had tried to convince her those are slow-growing tumors and the mri is just routine follow-up). In the meanwhile, I am supposed to check with her colleague and get operated on right away if my condition changes/worsens.