Being Proactive Can Save Your Life
- Jennifer Moseley from Waukee, Iowa got the COVID vaccine so that she could go see her grandchildren, then immediately found out she had breast cancer.
- A common symptom after getting the injection is that your lymph nodes can swell. Moseley has a family history of breast cancer, so she had stayed up-to-date on her screenings
- Inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers, and have also been associated with increased risks for several other cancers.
A common symptom after getting the injection is that your lymph nodes can swell. But when Moseley’s didn’t go down within the week, she realized she needed to go get her mammogram earlier than planned. In the meantime, the mother and grandmother performed a self-check that night and discovered something suspicious that felt like a “flattened grape.”
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Moseley promptly scheduled a mammogram, which is usually not painful.
“Mammograms are uncomfortable, but this time it hurt and it hurt pretty bad,” she said. “That's kind of when I knew.”
Five days later, Moseley was diagnosed with Stage 2A invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer, the type that her cousin died from at 38 years old in 2018. Moseley has two aunts and two other cousins who have had breast cancer.
Invasive lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that begins in the glands of the breast that produce milk, which are called lobules. If the cancer is invasive, it has broken out of the lobules, and has the potential to spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
Moseley has had surgery, and it is looking like they were able to get all the cancer and she may not have to have chemotherapy.
“Everyone should be aware that they need to examine their breasts more often,” she said.
Learning Your Family History
Experts say that mammogram screenings should start at around 40 or 45. With a family history of breast cancer, women are definitely encouraged to start on the earlier end. It is important to discuss your family history and talk about genetic testing with your doctor, and together, you can determine when you should start getting checked regularly.
Unfortunately, due to COVID, many people have been putting off check-ups and trips to the doctor, and Moseley’s story is an important reminder to stay on top of your health. With Moseley having five family members who have had breast cancer, that definitely puts her in a higher risk category.
BRCA (a breast cancer gene mutation) is actually two genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), each protein working as a tumor suppressor. They help repair damaged DNA, and are important for ensuring the stability of each cell's genetic material.
Related: The SurvivorNet Guide to BRCA and Inherited Breast Cancer Risk
When either of these genes is altered, that mutation can mean that its protein product does not function properly, or that damaged DNA may not be repaired correctly. These inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase the risk of female breast and ovarian cancers, and have also been associated with increased risks for several other cancers.
Dr. Rebecca Arend, associate scientist at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, explains the mutation in terms of its ability to repair damaged DNA.
"What a BRCA mutation is, is a defect in your ability to repair a double-strand break (in your DNA),” Dr. Arend tells SurvivorNet. “The BRCA mutation (which is passed on from a father or a mother), can cause a variety of cancers, including fallopian tube and peritoneal cancer, which are ovarian cancers. Furthermore, while about 1.3 percent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer sometime during their lives, it is estimated that about 44 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation, and about 17 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA2 mutation, will develop ovarian cancer."
It’s Important to Continue Cancer Screenings During COVID
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