I had just turned 60 in 2020 when my younger sister called me with terrible news; she had cancer, of an unknown primary. A few months later she did genetic testing and found out that she carried the BRACA2 gene mutation.
I thought that I was fine, I felt great, exercised regularly, ate a well-balanced diet, hadn’t smoked or drank for several decades and had no physical complaints at all. I went to see a new gynecologist who saved my life by sending me to get a pelvic ultrasound.
I had some sort of “mass” which was in fact stage 3 ovarian cancer. Before my genetic testing came back from the lab, more scans and biopsies revealed bilateral breast cancer as well.
I had all three of the cancers most associated with BRACA2 at the same time! I underwent 4 surgeries, 4 months of chemotherapy and 3 weeks of radiation, during the pandemic, far from my family and on my own during that first year. I felt really terrified and anxious; I wanted the doctors to reassure me that I would make it through and live. But they were not able to say that. I contemplated death frequently and found it very difficult to face.
Following those treatments, I underwent two and a half years on a “PARP Inhibitor”, a targeted drug therapy for BRACA2 cancers. I am currently on “Letrozole”, an estrogen suppressor.
I was very lucky to have met Dr. Bingkai Liu in the middle of all my hospitalizations a few months after my diagnosis. Dr. Liu helped me greatly to face what was happening to me. He introduced me to the association “Grace Guolin” which teaches the practice of Qi-Gong Guolin – a simple practice of breathing and walking, to calm and oxygenate the body. Through Dr. Liu and the group I found hope and an action that I could take towards my own well-being. I continue to practice Qi-Gong Guolin in a park, every day. It has become a soothing pleasure and a method of staying well and keeping the cancer at bay.
It has now been over 4 years since the nightmare of that triple cancer attack struck me. I am well, my blood markers are perfect, my scans all clear. Soon I hope to pass the 5-year goal and be considered “cancer free”. I know that the threat of recurrence is always present, but I am not afraid. I am not a victim and have taken action through daily practice of Qi-Gong Guolin in addition to the conventional hospital and targeted drug treatments. I feel very lucky to be alive and well today!
I would be happy to talk to anyone who may be facing ovarian cancer or its threat, who wishes to contact me.
Sincerely,
Colleen
Connaissances pertinentes
Le gène BRCA2 fait partie de notre patrimoine génétique, tout comme environ 30 000 autres gènes. Il code pour une protéine qui joue un rôle crucial dans la réparation des cassures de l’ADN, un peu comme un « mécanicien » qui répare le matériel génétique.
Lorsque cette protéine de réparation ne fonctionne pas correctement en raison d’une mutation du gène, le risque de développer un cancer augmente. En effet, les cellules endommagées ne peuvent plus être réparées efficacement, ce qui peut mener à la formation de tumeurs.
(Cohen-Haguenauer O. Med Sci (Paris). 2019 Feb)Le taux de risque (hazard rate) chez les porteurs du gène BRCA1 est le plus élevé au cours des 2 premières années, puis diminue jusqu’à la 6ᵉ année, avant de réaugmenter. En revanche, chez les porteurs du gène BRCA2, le taux de risque augmente pendant les 3 premières années avant de se stabiliser et de rester constant par la suite.
(Lambertini M, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2025 Feb)
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