October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and 23 And Me scientist, Ruth Tennen and customer, Gina Burris, are here to discuss how direct-to-consumer genetic health tests can make a huge impact on your health.
The mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes impact a person’s chance of developing certain cancers, including breast cancer, male breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Everyone has these genes, which are known as tumor suppressors, but the mutation causes the genes to function improperly. These mutations increase a woman's chances of developing breast cancer to 45% to 85% by the age of 70.
Gina did genetic testing just for fun to check out her ancestry but ended up finding out she did have the mutation. This specific mutation is more prevalent among those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, like Gina. After finding out she felt empowered with the knowledge to start the path to prevention, including a double-mastectomy and removing her ovaries. Since it also affects men, finding out her son also has the mutation has given him the power of prevention as well.
Taking proactive measures like genetic testing can truly save lives. You can click here to learn more about how to get started.
