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Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer
July 29, 2009 |
Genes. They affect our hair color, eye color, skin tone, everything about us and
they could determine your risk of breast cancer.
“There are genetic studies that are available to see if you are carrying the breast
cancer 'gene',” says Dr. Eric Goldsmith, an oncology surgeon with Lee Memorial Health System. Researchers are also devoting a lot of time to genetic makeup in their breast
cancer research. “At Lee Memorial Health System, there’s a geneticist available
and they
will actually do consultations and can perform that testing on you to determine
and see if in fact you have that gene mutation,.” adds Dr. Goldsmith.
But don’t let those genes fool you. “A lot of people say, ‘well, I have a history
of breast cancer; I’m doomed. I’m gonna have breast cancer.’ Well, the answer is,
not really. In fact, the new cases of breast cancer that we see in the majority
of patients have no family history whatsoever.”
Whatever your genetic makeup, doctors say regular self-exams, mammograms, and a
healthy diet can help in the prevention of breast cancer.
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