Orland Park & Homer Glen With news from Orland Hills

Advanced Search

### Advanced Search

X

- include all of these words:
- include any of these words:
- include this exact phrase:
- exclude:
- Select a date range
- Create a custom date range
  From: To:

# Palos Medical Group's Dr. Kanesha Bryant provides insight on genetic testing for breast cancer

Palos Medical Group Breast Surgeon Dr. Kanesha Bryant discusses whether BRACAnalysis genetic testing for breast cancer is right for you. (Posted By paloscommunityhospital, Community Contributor / May 15, 2013)

By paloscommunityhospital, Community Contributor

2:22 p.m. CDT, May 15, 2013

Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy sheds light on a weapon being used in the fight against breast cancer – BRACAnalysis genetic testing.
Jolie, who recently shared her announcement with the New York Times, carries an inherited gene mutation – BRCA1 – increasing her risk for breast and ovarian cancer. The double mastectomy reduced her chance of developing breast cancer from 87 percent to less than 5 percent, according to her doctors.
While all cancers are the result of gene abnormalities, for as many as 20 percent of the 200,000 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, their disease can be linked directly to a genetic defect that they inherited from their mother or father. Women who are born with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation have the highest – as high as 87 percent – lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. The odds of passing that risk on to their children: 50/50.
In addition to the high risk, tumors caused by BRCA abnormalities are more difficult to treat. Breast cancers found in women with one of these mutations most likely will be detected at an earlier age and more advanced stage, which means more aggressive treatments and lower survival rates. For women with an inherited risk, breast cancer can affect their families for generations to come.
BRACAnalysis has the potential to prevent each and every one of those 40,000 cases of hereditary breast cancer.
The first step in doing so is to find out if you or someone in your family carries a BRCAmutation. With insight from Palos Community Hospital Breast Surgeon Kanesha Bryant, M.D., we’ll help you determine if BRACAnalysis is right for you.
What is BRACAnalysis genetic testing?
BRACAnalysis is a simple blood test designed “to determine whether someone has one of the two genetic mutations – BRCA1 or BRCA2 – that can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer,” says Dr. Bryant. “This will help the person decide on medical options that could reduce her risk and assist other family members in deciding if they want to take further action to understand their own risks.”
If a person has a mother, sister, aunt or grandmother who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, does that person have an inherited risk?
“Possibly,” Dr. Bryant explains. “If a person has any family history of breast cancer, it could be associated with a genetic abnormality. However, not all breast cancers that run in families are caused by a BRCA mutation. When considering the possibility of a genetic link, we look for those with more than one first-generation relative who has had breast cancer, those with multiple generations of disease and those who develop breast cancer under the age of 50.”
If a woman has a BRCA mutation, what is her risk of developing breast cancer?
Women who test positive for a BRCA1 mutation have between a 50 and 70 percent chance of developing the disease by age 70, and those who carry the BRCA2 mutation have between a 40 and 60 percent risk. Any risk over 20 percent is considered high. Both abnormalities also increase a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer by between 30 and 60 percent, versus 1.4 percent for the general population.
Who should consider BRACAnalysis?
“The first person who should be tested is the person who has actually had breast cancer,” says Dr. Bryant. “After someone tests positive, then other family members can decide if they want to be tested.” If a first-degree relative with breast cancer dies before she can undergo genetic testing, the next closest relative to that person should consider BRACAnalysis.
Why is it important for some people to find out if they have an inherited genetic mutation for breast cancer?
“Awareness is key,” Dr. Bryant explains. “You don’t have to make any radical decisions now, but having the information can help you be proactive about the rest of your life. Knowing whether you have a BRCA mutation can give you a plan for preventing breast cancer, not only for yourself but for generations to come.”
But you need to take the first step towards finding out. If you believe you are at high risk for breast cancer, talk to a breast specialist about a breast cancer risk assessment. Even if you decide not to undergo BRACAnalysis, there are still steps you can take to reduce your and your family’s risk of breast cancer.
For a woman who carries a BRCA mutation, what steps can she take to prevent breast cancer?
Keep in mind that if you have a BRCA mutation, you have not inherited breast cancer, but rather you have inherited a higher risk of developing the disease.
Breast cancer is not inevitable. There are several steps you can take to reduce that risk and even prevent breast cancer altogether. If you believe you are at high risk, talk to a physician who specializes in breast cancer about which of these prevention options may be right for you:
• Mammography is still the first line of defense against breast cancer. Annual digital mammograms, along with more advanced screenings using MRI, can start as early as age 25. You can request an appointment for your annual mammogram here: http://bit.ly/mammo2013
• Chemo-prevention drugs, such as Tamoxifen, have been proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women with BRCA mutations by more than half.
• A preventive bilateral mastectomy can reduce breast cancer risk by 90 percent, and a prophylactic hysterectomy with ovary removal can lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 96 percent and breast cancer by 50 percent.
“Nothing is 100 percent,” says Dr. Bryant, “But for someone who carries a BRCA mutation and takes these preventive measures, the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer could actually be reduced to less than that of the general population.”
If you have any of the following risk factors for breast cancer, you should talk to a physician about genetic testing:
• Breast cancer in two or more relatives, or in a male relative;
• Breast cancer under age 50;
• Breast cancer in both breasts or twice in the same breast;
• Ashkenazi or Eastern European
• Jewish ancestry with breast or ovarian cancer at any age;
• Ovarian cancer at any age; or
• Breast and ovarian cancer in the same person.

Learn more about Dr. Kanesha Bryant and her philosophy of care by visiting http://bit.ly/vidbryant or go to http://bit.ly/pmgbreast to request an appointment with a Palos Medical Group Breast Surgeon.

## From the community

## Share your stories, photos and events with TribLocal.

## Latest community articles

## Orland Park Boy Scout Troop 383 Celebrates Historical Advancements

### Lemont’s Chris Giatras to play football at Augustana College

#### Lemont’s Nick Urban again finishes among top 32 at IHSA Boys’ Tennis State Finals

## Photos from the community

## Your photos: Orland Park and Homer Glen

## Your photos: Pets

### Photo challenge: Flowers

### Your photos: Backyard wildlife

### Your photos: Youth sports

#### Your school photos