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One of them is Brewster resident (and ovarian cancer survivor) Judy Callahan who had a family history of breast cancer (mother and grandmother) but no BRCA mutation.
"I can certainly understand her anguish and what led her to her decisions," said Callahan. "Although my decisions have been different, I respect her choice and the difficulty with which it must have been made. I hope that women will use her story not as a model to necessarily follow, but one which will encourage thought and ultimately lead them to the right decision for themselves.”
Barbara Cervoni, director of services and communication for Yorktown Heights-based Support Connection, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that provides free, confidential support services and programs to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer, agrees.
One in eight American women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Yet, despite tremendous advances, there is still no cure or way to prevent breast cancer. Ovarian cancer occurs with less frequency, but nevertheless ranks fifth as the cause of cancer death in women; that’s because there’s no definitive screening test and the symptoms are difficult to detect and diagnose, she explained.
Angelina Jolie's story about her prophylactic surgery for ovarian cancer draws a new kind of attention to two very prevalent and serious diseases. (Jolie had written two years ago about her preventative mastectomy surgery.)
"Many people had never heard of BRCA testing before Ms. Jolie brought it to the forefront," said Cervoni. "Women with strong family histories of breast or ovarian cancer can use the story as a starting point for discussions with their own doctors about how to assess their risk, what options they have, and what will work best for them. They can also reach out to organizations like FORCE whose specific focus is helping those affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer."
Emphasized Cervoni: "As with any health issue, there’s no 'one size fits all answer.' Another woman with the exact same history and test results as Ms. Jolie might make a very different choice, and that’s okay. What’s right for one person’s life may be completely wrong for the next person. These are the kinds of personal, in-depth conversations I hope this story can spark."
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