WHAT IS BREAST CANCER (BRCA) SEQUENCING?
There isn’t any medical risk associated with being tested for a BRCA gene mutation other
than the slight risks — including lightheadedness, bleeding or bruising — of having your
blood drawn. Additional consequences surrounding genetic testing include the medical,
financial, emotional and social implications of your test results.
If you test impressive for a BRCA gene mutation, you may face:
- Feelings of tension, fury, sadness or depression.
- Concerns over possible insurance discrimination.
- Strained family relationships more than learning of a familial genetic mutation.
- Difficult decisions about preventive measures that contain long-term consequences.
- Feelings of inevitability that you will become cancer.