Why I Asked My Mom to Undergo Genetic Testing After Her Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis - Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered - Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

Why I Asked My Mom to Undergo Genetic Testing After Her Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis - Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered - Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered

Why I Asked My Mom to Undergo Genetic Testing After Her Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

July 25, 2017

Angela Rezende, Lisa Rezende and Karen Wales

by Lisa Rezende, PhD

When my mom was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 55 in 2001, there were many reasons why she didn’t pursue genetic testing.

• National guidelines didn’t automatically recommend genetic counseling and/or testing.
• My family history was limited. While my grandmother had breast cancer, she was diagnosed after menopause, and the rest of her family history was not clear.
• Back then, testing costs were high and not always covered by insurance.
• Her diagnosis came before the passage of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and my mom had privacy concerns and fear of what testing would mean for her insurance premiums.