WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Health Alert: Double mastectomy choice

Health Alert: Double mastectomy choice

NATIONAL - What would you do if you were young and single with a bright future ahead, but were almost guaranteed to get breast cancer?

Deborah Lindner, 33, is a new physician excited about the future. But her strong family history of cancer worried her.

"My mother developed breast cancer when I was in high school and I went through surgery and chemotherapy with her, and was very aware of what that process was like. Several years later my grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer," Dr. Lindner explained.

A DNA test changed her life.

Deborah's genes put her chances of getting breast cancer at 85 percent.

She said it "was quite a shock when I found out that I was positive."

As a doctor, she understood the odds better than most. She applied the same risk-benefit analysis she uses with her patients to weigh her own choices.

"We know so much more about breast cancer than we ever have, but we're still not able to cure it. And so to me, I never wanted to have to face that possibility of dying from breast cancer."

To prevent the disease, she decided to have her healthy breasts removed - a double mastectomy.

Finding a surgeon wasn't easy.

Dr. Lindner said, "Several of the surgeons said, well you're too young to have a mastectomy. I mean most people who choose a mastectomy have already had children. They've breast fed their children. They're in relationships."

She persisted and had surgery and reconstruction. She was at the beach in a bathing suit weeks after her operation.

Taking action gave her peace of mind.

"Being able to reduce your risk to between one and five percent sounded fantastic to me."

Doctor Lindner also plans to have her ovaries removed by age 40. While Deborah felt mastectomy was her best choice, it's not the right choice for everyone. If your genes put you at risk, talk to your doctor to explore the options and decide what's best for you.

Posted by Bryce Mursch