I've had a lot of breast and other cancer in my family and I had a single mastectomy and immediate reconstruction when I was diagnosed at 53. I had genetic screening because I wanted to know if I had a faulty gene that I had passed on to my daughter, but fortunately thst wasn't the case. I was told that she should start to have regular mammograms from her mid thirties. Because of the prevalence of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer in my family, as well as several relatives with stomach and lung cancer, I was offered genetic testing without any issue, and I got the results in about a month. It's sure it varies by area, and I'm probably fortunate to live in London with hospitals which have excellent reputations for cancer treatment and plastic surgery.
One of the women I was I hospital with when I had my surgery had one of the faulty genes and had an elective double mastectomy, also with immediate reconstruction. She was due to have her ovaries removed a few months later.
I think it's very sensible advice to sort out life insurance before you enquire about testing, if that's something you would do (I've never had any sort of life insurance, so it's not something I considered.)
If you find that you have got a faulty gene and consider having a preventative mastectomy, you really wouldn't believe the amazing things that plastic surgeons can do. There are various options, including using implants and also your own tissue, which is a much larger operation. In my case, my breast was reconstructed using tissue from my tummy area and if I was to get changed in front of you, I don't think you could tell which was my reconstructed boob. Surgeons can also reconstruct fairly realistic looking nipples too.
It was a terrifying experience being. Diagnosed with breast cancer, and I can't describe how I felt when I was told I needed a mastectomy, but if I had known the treatment I would get, I wouldn't have been nearly as scared.
I would also contact Breastcancernow.org. They are a fantastic organisation and can provide a huge amount of support for anyone affected by breast cancer, from a very wide range of excellent leaflets thst cover everything you could think of, general nursing advice, and most importantly, they have. 'Someone like me' service where they will match you up with a volunteer who has faced exactly the same issues and decisions as you. The volunteers are highly trained and experienced and will talk to you by phone or email as often as you need them to to support you.