BRCA1 gene

[valyn_faer]

I just found out that my family on my mother's side has this BRCA1 gene which greatly increases one's risk of cancer, specifically breast cancer. My sister just recently had a colonoscopy and they found a lot of precancerous cells. They said there were so many that in a year she would have had cancer. In fact, the pathologist thought the doctor had made a mistake and that the sample was from someone in their 60's and not 36. My concern, of course, is how HRT will affect my chances of developing breast cancer or other forms of cancer. Needless to say, I'll be contacting my doctor on Monday to let him know. I really hope I don't have to discontinue HRT. That will effectively eliminate any hope of ever transitioning.

[Cindy]

I just found out that my family on my mother's side has this BRCA1 gene which greatly increases one's risk of cancer, specifically breast cancer. My sister just recently had a colonoscopy and they found a lot of precancerous cells. They said there were so many that in a year she would have had cancer. In fact, the pathologist thought the doctor had made a mistake and that the sample was from someone in their 60's and not 36. My concern, of course, is how HRT will affect my chances of developing breast cancer or other forms of cancer. Needless to say, I'll be contacting my doctor on Monday to let him know. I really hope I don't have to discontinue HRT. That will effectively eliminate any hope of ever transitioning.

BRCA1 & BRAC2 are tumour suppressor genes. You need to have mutations in them to make them inoperative, that gives an increased risk of breast cancer. That said only about 20% of families with a history of breast cancer carry  mutations in BRCA1 &2, what causes the familial effect in the others in largely unknown. Being on estrogen gives an increase chance of breast cancer since many breast cancer tumour cells express estrogen receptors and the estrogen allows them to proliferate.  Talk with your Dr and try not to panic. And of course we should all be doing checks for lumps and get checked ASAP if you find one.

Hope it works out OK

Cindy

[valyn_faer]

Yeah, actually that's what my family has, a mutated version of it. I talked to my mom last night and it was all such a big shock that I had forgotten the "mutated" part of it all.