The Resilient Pop Star to Perform Following Mastectomy
- Country singer Morgan Wade, 28, will join a cast of music artists in Key West for a music festival just two months after undergoing a preventative double mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and breast reconstruction. The procedure will help reduce her risk of getting breast cancer since she’s a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation, which increases your risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.
- BRCA comprises two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are tumor suppressors. When either of these genes is altered, damaged DNA cannot be adequately repaired, leading to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
- Several different genetic tests are available to determine if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.
- A double mastectomy is a procedure to remove both breasts, and it can be an emotional and overwhelming situation for a woman to deal with.
- When looking for a surgeon to perform a procedure to treat your breast cancer, you should consider their experience and how much you trust them.
Country singer Morgan Wade, 29, is just two months removed from undergoing a preventative double mastectomy (removal of both breasts) and breast reconstruction. The procedure was done to reduce her risk of breast and ovarian cancer since she’s a carrier of the BRCA gene mutation, which increases cancer risk. However, the resilient “Wilder Days” singer refuses to sit sidelined for long as she’s expected to hit the stage for a star-studded music festival in Key West in a few days.
Wade is a featured act in the “Mile 0 Fest” in Key West, Florida.
Read MoreShe shared a photo of herself inside a gym a month after the procedure. She added that raising her arms was challenging after the procedure and needed help doing everyday things like washing her hair, showering, and going to the bathroom.
Wade added that she feels “blessed to have the knowledge to take [her] health into [her] own hands.”
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Decision-making When Considering a Mastectomy
Having your breasts removed can be an overwhelming and emotional experience. Among the things that weighed heavy on Wade’s mind was the mastectomy’s ability to limit her regular exercise routines.
When a woman decides to have a mastectomy, several factors go into that decision. Among things to consider is whether to have breast-conserving surgery such as a lumpectomy. These decisions should be made alongside your doctor by openly and candidly discussing risks vs. benefits.
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removing of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has.”
WATCH: What Happens During a Double Mastectomy
Other factors that weigh into the decision to get a mastectomy are the size and features of the tumor and your family history. However, the gravity of your decision comes into full view, especially if you choose to get a mastectomy and remove both of your breasts.
Some women decide to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in right after the mastectomy, while others don’t have reconstruction at all.
Dr. Port added that most women do opt to have some reconstruction. The length of these surgeries can vary a great deal. When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). There is also the option to take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it into the breast area during reconstruction.
Understanding the BRCA Gene Mutation
The country music artist underwent testing for the BRCA gene mutation, which increases a person’s risk for breast cancer. The tests revealed she had the mutation.
BRCA is comprised of two genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 contain proteins that work as tumor suppressors.
They help repair damaged DNA and ensure the stability of each cell’s genetic material.
When either of these genes is altered, that mutation can mean its protein product does not function properly. The result of a nonfunctioning protein means damaged DNA may not be repaired correctly.
WATCH: Understanding BRCA Gene Mutation
BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers.
Several genetic tests are available to determine if you have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
If you discover that you do have a mutation, there are options available to manage your cancer risk, which include:
- Enhanced screenings
- Prophylactic (risk-reducing) surgery, which involves removing as much of the “at-risk” tissue as possible
- Chemoprevention, or the use of medicines to reduce the risk of cancer.
Things to Keep in Mind When Weighing Preventive Mastectomy
A prophylactic, or preventative, mastectomy is an operation where the breast tissue is removed to prevent cancer from developing in the future.
“Risk-reducing mastectomies are an operation where we take women at, usually, very high risk for getting breast cancer for genetic mutation carriers, who are the ones at the highest risk; there’s unfortunately only one way to actually prevent breast cancer,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet.
“Women who are found to test positive for a genetic mutation really have two options,” Dr. Port explains. “One is what’s called high-risk surveillance, which means we check them every six months or so mammograms, MRIs with the hope that if God forbid, they develop breast cancer, we pick it up early. But that’s not prevention; that’s early detection.
“Early detection is a goal; it’s not a guarantee. For the woman who wants to be more proactive about actually preventing breast cancer, or as we say reducing her risk, unfortunately, the only way to do that is to remove the actual tissue at risk, and that is the breast tissue,” she adds.
Some women decide to have their breasts reconstructed and have implants put in right after the mastectomy, while others don’t have reconstruction at all.
The benefits of a prophylactic or preventative surgery are:
- Significant reduction in cancer risk (from 80-90% to 1-2%)
- Nipples can often be spared
- Women can get reconstruction at the same time
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re facing the option of having a mastectomy, here are some questions to consider asking your doctor:
- What can I do to prepare for a double mastectomy?
- What happens before and after the procedure?
- For reconstruction, what are the benefits of using implants over my tissue and vice versa?
- What should I know about implants? Should I opt for preventative surgery?
- What will recovery look like after the procedure?
- What are the benefits of a watch & wait approach vs. preventative surgery?
- What kind of surveillance is required after the surgery?
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