Tom, a Chandler resident, has a family health history marked by cancer. On his mom's side of the family, his grandmother, four aunts and two first cousins have all passed away from various forms of cancer and six first cousins have been diagnosed with cancer. Tom's mother died of pancreatic cancer at age 75, just six weeks after diagnosis. In her 40s, she'd had a mastectomy after a breast cancer diagnosis.
On his paternal side, Tom's grandfather died from lung cancer, and his father and a first cousin have had cancer.
Based on his deep history, his sister, Chris, wisely urged him to seek out genetic counseling.
Tom's testing revealed that he has the BRCA2 gene mutation, as does Chris. Their two brothers and another sister do not have the mutation.
"I wasn't that surprised to know that I had the BRCA2 gene mutation — and I wasn't depressed," Tom said. "I had a 50/50 chance of having it. It doesn't mean I will get cancer, but I am at higher risk for the disease."
The significance of a BRCA gene mutation
Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but when you have mutations on these genes, your cancer risk rises. Men with the mutation are at higher risk for breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer over their lifetime.
After receiving genetic counseling and testing, Tom attended a pancreatic cancer support group at HonorHealth, led by Erkut Borazanci, MD, an oncologist and clinical investigator at HonorHealth Research Institute. Based on his presentation, Tom realized an early detection program, like the Biomarker Pancreatic Cancer Study, would benefit him.
Twice-a-year monitoring
Although he's currently symptom- and cancer-free, "they're going to watch me like a hawk," Tom said. He met with Dr. Borazanci, had a physical exam by a nurse practitioner and underwent an MRI and blood tests. He'll visit twice a year for exams and testing moving forward.
HonorHealth Research Institute researchers want to be able to identify pancreatic cancer at an early stage, so it's more treatable. It's usually found in a late stage when it has metastasized, but this biomarker study is meant to change that.
HonorHealth Research Institute clinicians:
- Are collecting data by monitoring at-risk individuals like Tom, hoping to find patterns of characteristics specific to pancreatic cancer.
- Are banking participants' blood and urine samples annually to look for identifiers — biomarkers — for cancer.
- Will closely monitor participants for many years.
Imaging studies could reveal a pancreatic cyst (similar to a polyp in the colon), which could be a precursor to pancreatic cancer. Results of the imaging studies are presented to the HonorHealth Pancreatic Tumor Board made up of radiologists, surgeons, GI physicians and genetic counselors. He has similar monitoring to detect breast cancer early, too.
His doctors have also recommended skin cancer screenings and a visit to an ophthalmologist to check for melanoma because he's also at higher risk for those types of cancer.
Surveillance is key
If you're at higher risk for cancer, surveillance is key since early detection could make all the difference in your long-term outlook.
Tom likes the idea of having his health closely monitored. "It's reassuring, very informative and puts me more on top of my health," he said. "The staff has been excellent, very professional. I'm happy to be part of it if I can help others avoid such terrible diseases."