Should I see someone about preventative measures?

My mum who is 79 has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and nodules in her stomach. 

I have read about an increased risk for me, particularly as I had triple negative breast cancer at 40. The chemo put me into full early menopause. I'm post menopausal now. I never had children. 

I'm not sure by how much the risk is increased. Should I seek preventative advice from someone? And if so would I start by seeing my GP?

  • Hello and thanks for posting

    I'm sorry about your mum's recent diagnosis and what you've been through yourself. It's understandable to be concerned about your risk of ovarian cancer especially given your personal history and family circumstances.

    The majority of cancers are not inherited. Ovarian and breast cancer can sometimes be linked through inherited genetic factors, like BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. You having triple negative breast cancer at a young age and now having a close family member may increase your risk.

    To find out if you can get genetic testing in the NHS, you would need to talk this through with your GP. There are regional cancer genetics clinic where these tests are done and the GP can either take advice from the clinic or make a referral (referrals usually have criteria often based on family history). 

    The NHS website has some useful information abougenetic testing and what it involves. We also have some further information on our website. 

    I hope this is of use. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene

  • Thank you for your reply Celene, very helpful.