Sarah was 23 when she found out she had the BRCA gene mutation | |
Going for the blood test with both her sisters, she says her pessimistic viewpoint steeled her.
"My relationship to the test was, 'I should think that I'll probably test positive because then it'll just be confirming what I already thought.' And then I was correct."
The result meant Sarah has up to a 70 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and up to 40 per cent chance of ovarian cancer.
It’s a health outcome that disproportionately affects people like Sarah with Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
Now she’s not only thinking about surgery to remove to her breasts and ovaries – but also about IVF to remove the gene fault from her future children.
Sarah, and two other women in similar situations, tell their story to Alice Moldovan in this week’s Earshot.
And if you ever wake up in the middle of the night wanting to get back to sleep, Kathryn Nicolai has a suggestion – why not listen to a bedtime story?
Until next time,
Rosie Ryan, digital editor
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| Like many Ashkenazi Jews, Sarah carries the BRCA gene mutation – and that means difficult decisions about surgery, screening and how far to go to prevent passing the gene fault on to the next generation. | |
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| When are you being sceptical and when are you being conspiratorial? It's not always easy to tell the difference. To distinguish the two, we first need to understand the traits of conspiratorial thinking. | |
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| In the 17th century, philosopher Baruch Spinoza's "evil opinions" left him ostracised by his Jewish community. Some Jews today embrace the renegade thinker, while others believe he should remain "cancelled". | |
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