Breast and ovarian cancers affect thousands of patients every year, which is what inspired the Huntsman Cancer Institute and KUED to organize an information session and presentation for patients and family members in Salt Lake City.
The presentation included a movie and open panel discussion by doctors from HCI who advised an audience of high-risk patients, students and others who have been affected by cancer in some way.
The movie shown was the documentary “Point of View: In the Family,” which chronicled the experiences and decisions of a young woman who discovered she carried the breast and ovarian cancer-causing mutated genes. A main challenge she and thousands of other carriers face is whether or not to have surgery that removes risky tissue, including breasts and ovaries.
After the film, doctors and specialists discussed problems associated with breast cancer surgery and some of the new techniques and procedures to deal with the disease.
Panelists recommended that anyone who has a history of breast or ovarian cancer in her family should have herself tested for cancer.
“There are only two ways to see it8212;either to feel it or to test for it,” said Cheryl Walczak, a radiologist at the U Hospital.
However, getting tested is not always simple. Leigh Neumayer, a breast cancer surgeon, said patients need to go in for multiple tests, not just those looking at blood cells. Patients have to keep getting checkups every year to make sure cells haven’t mutated.
The panelists offered advice and information about the effects and risks of surgery for breast and ovarian cancer, along with the different ways of obtaining replacement breasts such as silicon or body fat and muscle.
They said women can also take estrogen to replace hormones lost from the removal of ovaries.
The panelists also said surgery is not a 100 percent guarantee patients will not develop cancer later in life.
Vickie Venne, a genetic counselor at the institute and moderator for the evening, said she wanted those attending to take away the fact that surgery is not for everyone and that there are other options. Some drugs offered can block the effects of estrogen, which will stop growth of breast tumors.
The institute offers the Family Cancer Assessment Clinic for those who want to know if they have the mutant genes that cause cancer and for those who do know and want counseling on what steps to take next. The clinic can answer all cancer-related questions and evaluate family history to see what to test for.
According to the institute’s Web site, if someone’s mother or father8212;or both8212;carry the gene, that person’s chances for inheriting it are 50 percent. Sixty out of 100 women who have the gene will develop cancer by age 50, and their chances only increase as they age.
The clinic also counsels those who have at-risk genes and helps them decide what to do8212;whether to have surgery or treatment medication.
“You can’t make a wrong decision, just one that you feel is right,” said Sandra Buys, medical director of High Risk Breast Cancer Clinic in Salt Lake City and a panel participant.