Any Drs on here? Freaked

[Threetimesthreeequals]

repeat prescription for combined contraceptive pill refused, need a call with dr.
had call, GP had read through my notes that had pre menopausal breast cancer. My mother was 49/50 when diagnosed, and hadn’t gone through menopause. So dr said I should’nt have it and refused to prescribe it because the risk is too high, esp because dm was premenopausal. I’ve been on and off on this contraception for 10 years. It’s the standard one beginning with M- can’t remember exactly.

she then said I likely have the genetic type of breast cancer gene because DM didn’t have any siblings but I can’t get screened on the nhs. My friends mum had this and she died, her mum and sister did too, all from cancer and around 50. No one has ever said this to me before.

dm was stage 3 and had surgery and chemo 20 years ago been in remission since. She’s an only child so no siblings to rule out. Her mum didn’t have cancer nor her grandmother but her great grandmother (so my great great grandmother) died of breast cancer (think she refused treatment). Grandmother had 2 sisters, none of them have had cancer and are in their 70s now, neither have their kids.

Is this enough of a family link to be concerned ? It’s never been mentioned to me before.

anyone know what the guidelines are here? Or can tell me do i need to be concerned?

My mum had pre-menopausal breast cancer and sadly died from it a few years after diagnosis. This was over 20 years ago so I don't think they knew as much then as they do now and she didn't have genetic testing done. She was also an only child, but there was no other history of breast cancer in her family - her mother/grandmother or 2 aunts.

I was told I was at higher risk because of her being pre-menopause at diagnosis and her family history wasn't a large enough pool to be significant. I opted to have genetic screening and was negative for the BRCA mutations. There are other genes which can be linked to breast cancer, but the most common cause of hereditary breast cancer is due to BRCA mutations. However, only 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary.

I was told to come off the combined pill 10 years before the age at which my mum was diagnosed.

Very similar situation to you. Mother only child. Pre menopausal BC and died.
I have had yearly mammograms since I hit 40 but it was a bit of a battle to sort. They've refused to test genetics though. I take the progesterone only pill which is apparently OK.

there is a nhs family breast cancer clinic at our hospital. Despite having 4 relatives having had breast cancer I didn’t have enough of a link to get genetic tested in the nhs. I had seen a private breast clinic because I had a lump (which was fine) and had a genetic test through them which was negative. Did have annual mammograms in my forties due to history on the nhs as the consultant at the clinic write to my gp to recommend it.

How did you get your screening? I think I want to look into it

I'm not a doctor but I'm guessing you're on a combined pill (Microgynon, perhaps?) and they might suggest moving you on to a progestogen-only pill instead.

My mum had an oestrogen-sensitive form of breast cancer before she reached perimenopause. As far as I'm aware, the only other cases of breast cancer in my family were in two of my (many!) great-aunts on different sides of the family. My doctor doesn't think it's likely that there's any major genetic factor for me, but still thought that, along with one or two other reasons, it would be wise to switch my pill to a progestogen-only one a few years ago. I'm 48 and I've been fine on it; no side effects and it makes my periods almost non-existent which has been a real bonus because they used to be awful.

That’s the one, but just don’t understand why it’s not been mentioned until now.

ive no idea if they tested my mums tumour type, it was 20 years ago so maybe that didn’t exist then?

https://www.thecancerscreeningtrust.co.uk

Threetimesthreeequals I wasn't living in the UK at the time. Tbh, I'm not sure what I would have done if I had been positive for the BRCA mutation, but it was a relief not to be. My sister lives in the UK still and has been offered nothing in terms of testing or monitoring. I'm in another country now which offers yearly mammograms from 40, so I do that too.

I think my gp referred me to the hospital. But the private breast clinic I saw the same consultant that works in our local hospital and she did the gene testing because I didn’t quite fit the criteria on the nhs for it.