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Snufi,
Very good questions, without knowing more, about your family history....
It is a good idea to consider a risk counselor. Those people can be found in your breast care center. You could have an assessment performed.
Now to answer your question: I think that the majority of daughters whose mothers have breast cancer do not have a greatly increased risk. Most breast cancers are random and are not caused by the defective BRCA gene.
An estimated 3-7% of women diagnosed have inherited a mutation in the BRCA gene. So a woman has to have a substantial family history of cancer for there to be a hereditary component in her family. Some signs of a substantial history include:
Having two or more relatives diagnosed before age 50
Having a relative who had breast cancer in both breasts (which would be two cases of breast cancer)
Having a case of ovarian cancer in the family
For certain your daughter should have breast health care earlier than the usual young woman since you have a dx. Even those of us with sons have to be watchful as bc does not only happen to women.
Have someone teach your daughter how to perfrom self exam so she knows her own breasts...when they feel normal...before her menstrual cycle and then after it... I think that is very important that young women know and understand the difference in their breasts during the month.
Knowledge is POWER....
Best Wishes,
Jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
Last edited by Jean; 01-03-2009 at 01:59 PM..
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