Angelina Jolie and BRCA

I saw on the news that Angie had a double mastectomy because she tested positive for the BRCA gene mutation. It’s unfortunate that there are many women out there who cannot afford the $3000-4000 for the genetic testing. I was lucky that the Komen organization paid for my testing. Everyone has BRCA genes and they help repair any damage to DNA during cell division. But if there is a mutation in the BRCA gene then the abnormal cells can multiply and cancer can develop.

I have a BRCA 1 mutation which means I have a higher chance of developing another breast cancer or ovarian cancer. I apparently inherited this gene mutation from my father because my mother tested negative.

I think it was a good thing for Angelina to go public and raise awareness about the BRCA genes but then I also worry about the women who can't afford to be tested.

Also, one lab does the testing. Just one. How do we know that they are testing correctly? It seems like suddenly so many women have the gene mutation but maybe that's because more are being tested...