Description of Event or Problem · 1
DURING A ROUTINE VISIT WITH HER GYNECOLOGIST, THIS PT MENTIONED THAT HER SISTER WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. THE GYNECOLOGIST OFFERED THE PT A BLOOD TEST TO BETTER ASSESS HER OWN RISK FOR DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE PT RECEIVED A CALL AT WORK FROM AN ASSISTANT AT HER GYNECOLOGIST'S OFFICE. THE PT IS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER AND WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF HER CLASSROOM AT THE TIME OF THIS CALL. THE ASSISTANT INDICATED THAT HER TEST RESULTS WERE AVAILABLE AND THAT SHE NEEDED TO MEET WITH THE GYNECOLOGIST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE PT WAS FRIGHTENED AND ASKED ABOUT HER RESULTS. THE OFFICE ASSISTANT REVEALED THAT THE PT WAS FOUND TO CARRY A BRCA2 MUTATION. WHEN SHE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH HER GYNECOLOGIST IMMEDIATELY, SHE WAS TOLD THAT NO ONE AT HER PHYSICIAN'S OFFICE WAS AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH HER UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SHE DESCRIBED HERSELF AS 'DISTRAUGHT'. WHEN SHE FINALLY DID GET TO MEET WITH HER GYNECOLOGIST, SHE WAS TOLD THAT SHE NEEDED A TOTAL ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY AND BILATERAL MASTECTOMIES. NO OTHER OPTIONS WERE PRESENTED. SHE WAS SHOCKED AND OVERWHELMED, ESPECIALLY SINCE SHE HAD NOT BEEN TOLD THAT THE TEST WOULD DETERMINE HER RISKS FOR OVARIAN CANCER. SHE WAS THEN REFERRED TO A CERTIFIED GENETIC COUNSELOR WHERE SHE LEARNED FOR THE FIRST TIME THE RISKS TO HER CHILDREN AND HER OPTIONS FOR CANCER SURVEILLANCE AND RISK REDUCTION. SHE REMARKED THAT SHE WISHED SHE HAD RECEIVED THIS INFO BEFORE SHE HAD TESTING. SHE INDICATED THAT SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE TEST IF SHE HAD KNOWN ALL OF THE INFO AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE TEST RESULTS.