Kasey Lipinski’s dad underwent treatment for prostate cancer 17 years ago, but no one told him then about a potential link between prostate cancer and breast cancer. He was told his two sons should get genetic testing before they turned 40, but no one mentioned that his daughter might need genetic testing too. Kasey’s family did not know about the connection between prostate and breast cancer until she was diagnosed with breast cancer and tested positive for the BRCA2 inherited gene mutation.
Earlier this year, Kasey felt a lump in her breast. “My breasts were always large, very dense and a bit lumpy,” she said. “But this one spot felt different.” Kasey wasn’t overly concerned about it, but mentioned it a few weeks later during an appointment with her primary care physician. Her doctor erred on the side of caution and ordered a mammogram and a guided ultrasound. Kasey was 38 and did not get screened prior to this because she didn’t know she had an increased risk.
Three weeks later, Kasey had the mammogram. One of her lymph nodes, on the same side as the lump, was swollen, which caused the radiologist to be concerned. “I instantly started crying,” Kasey said. “I just knew that something wasn’t good. The doctor wanted to do a biopsy of both breasts.” Kasey was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.
When Kasey shared her family history with her doctor, which included her father having prostate cancer 17 years earlier, no one seemed concerned nor had anyone suggested a link between her father’s diagnosis and hers. But Kasey met with a genetic counselor, who did a family tree. “She showed me the different cancer markers they were going to test me for,” Kasey said.
She had just accepted her new reality of breast cancer when she learned she was positive for the BRCA2 inherited gene mutation. “It was like finding out I had breast cancer all over again,” Kasey said. “The tests showed there was a 70 percent chance in my lifetime I was going to get breast cancer, and that there’s also an increased risk for prostate cancer in my family. The genetic testing was spot on since both of those came true.”
Kasey’s mother had genetic testing done, but it came back negative for the BRCA1/2 mutations. This meant the gene mutation came from Kasey’s dad. Kasey asked the genetic counselor why her dad wasn’t told anything about the cancer being hereditary. “She said they likely didn’t see a link at that point, a hereditary link,” she said. Kasey’s brothers have now also gone in for genetic counseling and are awaiting their results.
Kasey’s treatment will include chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and radiation therapy. She’s also at increased risk of developing melanoma, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer. When she finishes breast cancer treatment, she’ll meet with a gynecological oncologist.
“I can’t change anything about what’s happened to me, but my passion now is educating people about the link between prostate and breast cancer,” Kasey said. “We need to shout it from the rooftop. We need to encourage people to get tested for these gene mutations.”
Kasey recalls a conversation she had with her hairstylist. “She told me her dad had prostate cancer. Her dad’s dad had prostate cancer. Her mother, her grandmother on her mother’s side, had breast cancer,” Kasey said. “I was encouraging her to get genetic testing and she was like, but you get those gene mutations from the maternal side. I told her that is not true. I was like, I talked to the genetic counselor. There’s a 50/50 chance. You need to get genetic counseling.”
Because Kasey did not know she carried an inherited gene mutation, she couldn’t be proactive about her health prior to her diagnosis. But that won’t happen with her daughters. “They won’t test for the BRCA1/2 mutations until they’re 18, and if one of them – or both of them – have it, then we’ll get a plan together to see what we’re going to do,” Kasey said.
Both women and men can have a BRCA gene mutation, which can be passed on (inherited) from either the mother or father to their daughter(s) or son(s). If there’s a history of breast and prostate (or other) cancers in your family, talk to your doctor or a genetic counselor to see if genetic testing is right for you and your family. To learn more, visit BRCAinMen.com.
