WEST PALM BEACH, FL-- Emily Alt, like many young women, loves to shop. Although she acts carefree, she has some pretty oppressive thoughts weighing on her mind.
"All the women in my family on the maternal side were diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32. And my mother died at the age of 37. My aunt tested positive for BRCA1 and with that knowledge and with me turning 32 in 6 months, I really have a lot to think about."
At Emily's home she has a picture that sometimes confuses her friends.
Emily Alt says, "They say, why would you have a picture of yourself by yourself? I say, it’s not me, it’s my mom."
It’s that amazing similarity that makes Emily wonder if she inherited any other genes from her mother.
Emily: "It’s so predominate in my family and we are all Ashkenazi Jews on both sides."
What signs do doctors look for that indicates the possibility of a BRCA gene mutation?
*are you younger (below 50) and have been diagnosed with breast cancer
*your mother, sister, or daughter has had breast cancer before age 50 or ovarian cancer at any age
*a woman in your family has had both breast cancer and ovarian cancer
*your family is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent
*a male in your family has had breast cancer
So, Emily has gotten the prescription for the BRCA testing.
Emily says, "I talked to my doctor about doing the BRCA testing and maybe have a prophylactic mastectomy. It’s not an easy surgery or an easy recovery but I certainly don’t want to play Russian roulette with my life. And I want to be able to raise my kids and get married and live a long happy life.
