List of genes linked to breast cancer grows, enabling patients to take control of their health

HOUSTON (November03, 2017)

At 32 years old, Kristen Adams has made a big decision. A Katy mother of two and bootcamp fitness instructor, she has taken on all the risks of major surgery and opted to remove both breasts, even though she's perfectly healthy. Similar to the BRCA gene actress Angelina Jolie famously battled with a double mastectomy, the CHEK2 gene mutation allows cells to grow and divide rapidly in an uncontrolled way, often leading to tumors. Yet, unlike BRCA testing that's been around for 20 years, Dr. Liz Lee, a breast surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, says doctors added the CHEK2 gene to testing panels just a few years ago.

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