Hi my name is Cath I'm 59. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer 10 years ago and had a bowel resection and adjuvant chemo. I was then diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 just as we went into lock down. We have had a lot of cancer in the family , mum has had 5.differnt cancers and 2 reoccurrences and my son and brother have both had cancer. We have been working with clinical genetics to try and find a reason for so many cancers and earlier this year both myself and mum were diagnosed with PTEN hamatoma tumor syndrome, this is a gene alteration which means we are more susceptible to developing a number of different cancers. We are awaiting my son test results and will find out at the end of July. I have been advised that the best course of action is to have a risk reducing double mastectomy and hysterectomy, I'm also waiting for an abdominal wall reconstruction due to complications following my bowel surgery. Current frustration is being faced with all this surgery and the waiting lists are horrendous, and having PTEN the worry is that I may develop another cancer while I'm waiting. Also got all the worry for mum and my son. Feel like I have been dealing with cancer fo
