If you have a family history of breast cancer can you still avoid it?

If you plot your: Pedigree, you will see that all the women (and men) in previous generations did not develop breast cancer, so your genes *may* carry risk, but do not determine your fate. If you are tested for brca 1/2 and are positive, your risk is quite high that you will devlope breast and or ovarian cancer, but this is where genetic esting and counseling can delier answers and peace of mind. Go!

Options: 1st-a family history does not mean its a predetermined fact for you but influences risk. Options include 1)increased screening incl. Bmri, 2)chemo prevention such as tamoxifen/raloxifene which reduce the risk of er+ tumors by 40-50%, 3)prophylactic ic surgery which is usually reserved for known brcamutation carriers where the lifetime risk may approach 70-90%.