Recently, breast cancer awareness has been gaining momentum. The cause has received tremendous publicity, and fundraising marathons and the sale o
Furthermore, breast cancer genetic screening is becoming more available, after the Supreme Court voted against the Myriad Company last spring. Myriad, a major biotech company in Salt Lake City that held the patent for breast cancer testing, was ruled against on the grounds that genes are products of nature and therefore not patentable. Aside from this court case being monumental on legal grounds, it also effectively allowed other companies and clinics to offer breast cancer testing, lowering the costs from an estimated $4,000 to $200.
Due to the drastic lowering in price of breast cancer testing, it’s important to understand what the test is. The test is a genetic analysis, taken through a blood, spit or cheek-cell sample that looks to see if a person carries the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 gene mutation. Carrying the mutation may greatly increase a woman’s risk factor, meaning a 40 to 85 percent chance of developing breast cancer and up to a 60 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer by age 70.
According to Rebecca Nagy, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, there are a few simple ways to determine whether a person is predisposed for breast cancer. The best way to know is to examine family history. For one, it is important to know if there are two or more cases of breast and/or ovarian cancer in close relatives; particularly if one of the family members was diagnosed before 50 or had cancer in both breasts. In such a case, a person should consult a genetic counselor or physician to understand her personal risk. For example, Ashkenazi Jews are more prone to this mutation as compared to the rest of the population.
As of yet, there are few treatment options for breast cancer aside from chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and the standard chemotherapeutic drugs. There are those that have therefore opted to more drastic preventative measures—such as oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) and mastectomy (removal of the breasts)—which can easily reduce a woman’s chance of developing these types of cancer by up to 90 percent. There are obviously ethical and Halachic questions that arise in such a situation, and as always, it’s best to contact one’s LOR (local Orthodox Rabbi).
Although all of this information may be informative and useful to know, college students may still struggle to see any immediate relevance. Unfortunately though, every year, about 70,000 people are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39, according to the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Progress review group. The Young Survival Coalition says that breast cancer accounts for 15% of all cancer diagnoses in people of that age range. And more tragically, not only is a breast cancer diagnosis possible, but it’s more aggressive in younger patients with a lower survival rate. Nearly 80 percent of young women diagnosed with breast cancer find their breast abnormality themselves.
Irene Frederick, OB-GYN and academic director of health care leadership at the University of Denver, says there isn’t a time period in any woman’s life where the complaint of a breast mass should be dismissed. “I would hope that not only young women’s awareness of the possibility of breast cancer improve, but the physician’s awareness as well,” she says. “There is a lot of downplay, but the rule of thumb is that you never know.” Frederick says college students need to spend time making sure they are supporting a healthy immune system — which is something college students overlook by not sleeping and eating an unhealthy diet. Even though some women are genetically predisposed for the disease, poor lifestyle choices will only increase the probability of contracting it.