Brown educates Jewish women about breast, ovarian cancer

By DEBORAH MOON

article created on: 2010-04-04T00:00:00

When Laurie Brown’s mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2000, 10 years after having breast cancer, Brown wondered if the two cancers were related.

As a registered nurse and professor of nursing, Brown was well-equipped to research and understand that information. She learned about the discovery of two breast cancer genes in the 1990s, both of which have common mutations in people of Ashkenazi (eastern European) Jewish ancestry that predispose them to developing the two cancers.

“Once I found out about the BRCA gene, I realized there was a strong connection between breast and ovarian cancer,” said Brown, whose mother died from ovarian cancer five years ago after five years of treatment. “I felt compelled to do public education about the genetics of breast and ovarian cancer, so people can make decisions about their health before they get cancer.”

A member of Hadassah, Brown recently shared her research on two Sundays before Passover at a Hadassah booth outside the Shattuck Road Albertson’s, which has a large selection of Passover products.

On March 21 and 28, Hadassah volunteers distributed the breast cancer fact sheet of information from Brown’s Web site (www.RNLaurie.com; see the technology section). With training provided by Brown, the volunteers were also able to answer shoppers’ questions or refer them to valuable resources.

The Portland Chapter of Hadassah thought being at Albertson’s during Passover shopping would be excellent time to greet and inform the Jewish community about the BRCA genes, according to Hadassah board member Michelle Suffian-Chilton.

Breast cancer is a top issue for Hadassah, as the Hadassah University Medical Center in Israel works to improve screening techniques as well as find a cure via its pioneering human embryonic stem cell and genetic research, noted Shain. Hadassah is actively involved in educating women about breast health awareness.

For Brown personally, the education was probably life saving.

“All the women in my family had breast cancer by age 47,” said Brown. “Now I know why.”

Brown’s mother tested positive for one of the BRCA mutations, so Brown also had the simple blood test—positive.

“At age 39, I felt my future wasn’t looking very good,” said Brown.

“Once I had the genetic information, I was able to take the time to see my primary care doctor, a counselor and an oncologist to weigh my risk/benefits ratio,” said Brown. “This was not a decision I wanted to make, but I had the opportunity to make that decision with knowledge, while other women are not given that opportunity.”

Knowing she didn’t plan to have children, Brown decided to have a prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy and oophorectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries. Yet when surgeons removed her ovaries, she said they discovered cellular changes had already begun.

“What I had thought would be prophylactic was probably actually very life saving because my cells were already changing,” said Brown. “My cells had not become cancerous or metastasized, so I didn’t need chemo(therapy).”

Ovarian cancer is frequently fatal because it is often detected when it is far advanced due to the subtle symptoms (see Ovarian Cancer Factbox). Brown, unlike her mother, was very fortunate to have changes detected so early.

While Brown doesn’t recommend the radical action she took to all women, she said she does recommend that Ashkenazi Jewish women be tested and consider their options if the test is positive.

She said she believes women who know they have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation are more likely to make good choices for their health. Early surveillance, such as breast self exams, and removal of ovaries for women who are done having children are things positive women might consider, she said. She recommended women with one of the mutations visit www.facingourrisk.org, a Web site of FORCE—Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, for individuals and families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

“Some people make changes for their health; some are immobilized with what to do with the results,” said Brown, who urged those who learn they have a BRCA mutation to learn all their options by visiting Web sites such as those in the previous paragraph and by talking to their doctor.

For herself, Brown did everything she could to tip the odds in her favor.

“At the time I had surgery, I had a 50-50 chance of getting breast cancer,” she said. “After age 50, that would have been up to 87 percent. I had a 40 to 66 percent chance of ovarian cancer.”

Though some breast and ovarian cells remain after a mastectomy or oophorectomy, the risk of those cells developing cancer is significantly smaller, said Brown.

“Now I have a much more serene sense about my future,” she said. “I’ve done pretty much everything I can do to stay healthy.”