breast cancer

[louise0501]

hi everyone, lately i have been really worried i will get breast cancer, i am 21 at the moment. about 6 years ago my nan died of breast cancer and now i'm terrified any day my mum will get it or i will get or one of sisters will get it. and i just read in another post by munchkin555 that you can get breast cancer in your 20's if it is hereditory. any advice? it's really been bothering me lately?
Please Please reply
Luv Louise

[Charlottie]

Does your doctor know about your grandmother suffering from it?
There is a gene test you can request to see if you have inherited the breast cancer gene. I don't know if it's expensive though. And even if you have inherited it, it doesn't mean you're doomed to get it, it just means you have a higher risk.
For now all you can do is live a healthy life and keep checking your breasts regularly. Encourage your mom and sisters to do the same. If you do this you will be doing all you can do and if you do happen to get it you will most likely catch it in it's early stages when it's very treatable.

I am pretty sure it's very rare to suffer from breast cancer in your 20s which is why they don't offer routine mammograms until your 50s/60s.

[Hope 2]

Hi Louise

I am pretty sure the hereditory angle with breast cancer in younger women is that it is more likely to present itself if the women were all young when they developed the disease . Charlottie was spot on about her advice too hun .

Bye for now
Hope xx

[Charlottie]

Thanks, I want to be a nurse

[Hope 2]

Awww good for you , I used to be one lol , ......... and chick yr half way there with that reply xx
Hope u ok Lousie xx

[Charlottie]

Tehehe thanks I start my course in October eee It may be a bad idea being a health anx sufferer =/ I already made a post about it on here.

Right I'm going to stop invading this thread now, sorry Louise!

[jodie]

hiya

i am sure that hope is right in that for it to be hereditory your gran would of had to have it when she was in her younger years .
my gran had it but in her late years she was about 68 and when my mum asked her doc what her risk was he sead no more than anyone else ,but mabe have a chat with the doc and put your mind at rest about it hun

jodie xx

[JennyW]

hiya

i am sure that hope is right in that for it to be hereditory your gran would of had to have it when she was in her younger years .
my gran had it but in her late years she was about 68 and when my mum asked her doc what her risk was he sead no more than anyone else ,but mabe have a chat with the doc and put your mind at rest about it hun

jodie xx

When my paternal grandmother died of pneumonia, they descovered that she also had breast cancer (she was in her 70's). I have seen a few breast cancer consulants and when I've mentioned this (when they've asked if I have any family history), they have all commented that this wasn't a risk factor and that my grandmother having breast cancer was more likely to be because of her age.

Only a very small amount of breast cancer (5-10%) is due to inherited factors. For most people, increasing age is the greatest risk factor

What's best for you is to become breast aware and check yourself each month. I've been to the doctors since my 20's with breast lumps and my most recent was in March and thankfully they've all been benign lumps and bumps and cysts

[louise0501]

i nan was in her 50's when she got it so is that still old enough for it to be because of her age?
please reply
Luv Louise

[Charlottie]

It can be, the risk starts to go up when you hit your 50s I think. That's why you start having routine mammograms in your 50s.