Baby guaranteed to be born free of B/C

[hutchibk]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4232383.ece

[Leslie's sister]

I read the article and quite a few of the comments. This is quite a controversial concept. What do the breast cancer survivors think? Anyone want to weigh in on this? (I definitely know where I stand on this and am purposely not infringing my opinion on this topic on anyone. I think it is more significant to have breast cancer survivor's uninfluenced opinions)

Thanks for an enlightening post Brenda.

[kcherub]

Well...I don't have a moral issue with it. Unlike removing the gene for other things (Downs, hearing loss, etc.), no one would oppose eradicating BC. However, this procedure only guaranteed that the baby born would not have the BC GENE. Who is to say that baby won't have breast cancer anyway?

I can understand this family's heartbreak with regard to all of their other family members who have had BC. But...I know my Mom wouldn't want to go back and not have had me.

I haven't been tested for the genes, but I know that if I am carrier, I wouldn't have wanted Cooper to not have been born should he be a carrier. In my case, if I am a carrier, it is most likely on my father's side (no one on my mother's side in the last 60 years has had BC--before that, who knows?). My PGM died of pancreatic cancer, but had BC before that (she was almost 70 when she died). There are no aunts on that side, only my Daddy and an uncle.

Just my thoughts.

Take care,

[kcherub]

BTW...I should also mention that we have three frozen embryos and have no plans to have them tested.

Take care,

[SoCalGal]

I think that they don't really understand that we cannot yet predict nor control cancer. They can rule out brca 1/2 carriers but what about all the other women (is it 1 out of 7)who will develop breast cancer in their lifetime? sigh...

[mts]

Our DNA does not preclude us from any disease. Its all about when the epithelial cell cannot turn itself off. By removing the BRCA gene then you only eliminate the risk of developing breast cancer induced by the BRCA gene. There are still numerous other ways to get cancer (whether breast or not)
What makes a good cell turn to cancer? Well there are 3 ways:

1.Radiation (sun, nuclear energy and nuclear medicine, Hiroshima, etc)

2.Virus (ie: HPV's; mostly eradicated from mankind - except in Africa where unknown diseases are prevalent)

3.Environment - combustion, cigarettes, exhaust; nutritional deficiencies, hormonal, ---Anything that we metabolize either by eating or inhaling.

So, removing the BRCA gene may lessen the risk of developing BRCA induced breast cancer, but cancer has other ways of developing. I am sure the family that has the gene removed knows that their risk is lessened, but aware their are other triggers.

maria