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Genetic testing helps predict breast cancer odds

08:54 AM PDT on Tuesday, August 12, 2008

JEAN ENERSEN / KING 5 News

Video: Predicting breast cancer odds
Larger screen

Katie was just 9 years old when mom Becky Fisher was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"It was something I had expect would occur in my life and it did. I didn't expect it at 31, but here it was," said Becky.

Becky's mother and grandmother both had early breast cancer.

"I had a hunch and so I made life choices around that hunch. Katie doesn't have to have a hunch she knows for sure, so she's able to make those choices with a high degree of certainty," said Becky.

Katie tested positive for the BRCA-1 mutation, which doesn't mean she'll get breast cancer, only that her risk is much higher.

"It's just helped me to plan out the steps I will take going forward to avoid going through what she went through, prophylactic mastectomy is definitely an option and have MRI screenings every 6 months just to make sure,' said Katie.

KING

Katie was just 9 years old when mom Becky Fisher was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The test wasn't available when Becky's two sisters decided to have their breasts removed as a precaution. Later they both tested negative.

Katie got tested six years ago as soon as she turned 18.

"There are many instances where testing is very important in childhood because there are treatments or interventions that can be done in childhood. However, there are other conditions in which things don't need to be done until people are adults," said Dr. Benjamin Wilfond.

Conditions like the BRCA mutations.

"It's definitely a life changing thing to know, but it's not a death sentence or anything that's really drastic," said Katie.

And now, thanks to a new federal law, insurance companies and employers can't use that information against you.

"We're really, really happy that legislation is in place now because then people won't be so afraid to be tested," said Becky.

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