CLINIC HELPS PATIENTS UNDERSTAND, FIGHT BREAST CANCER
Kris Lucas knows what it's like to find cancer on a family tree and realize you might be next. But she also knows that when it comes to cancer, knowledge is power. And in that power, she believes she has found the freedom to change her future.
"It has made all the difference," said Lucas, who discovered two years ago that she carried a gene that greatly increased her risk for developing breast cancer. "For me, as long as I know I have a plan of action, I'm in a much better frame of mind. I know I am going to beat this and hopefully never have to face cancer."
Lucas' confidence and plan of action come courtesy of a relatively new field in oncology that specializes in cancer knowledge and prevention. At Kingsport Hematology Oncology's High Risk Cancer Clinic and under the guidance of Wendy Vogel, Lucas has been able to access the latest information, discuss her options and make informed decisions that can greatly reduce her cancer risk.
"It's a new field, prevention of cancer," said Vogel, who heads up the clinic. "There are proactive things we can do for our health. We look at ways to reduce the risk."
Patients generally come to a high-risk cancer clinic because of family history, exposure or previous cancer diagnosis, Vogel said. They can self-refer, or their doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant can refer them.
"First, we do a thorough health history," Vogel said. "Then we do a risk assessment. We look not only at family and medical history but also at lifestyle and environment."
In the end, patients are provided information that includes not only their cancer risks but also concrete practical ways to reduce that risk.
Recommendations can range from quitting smoking, exercising and eating healthy to taking medications (such as Tamoxifen for women at high risk for breast cancer) to prophylactic surgery.
Every person is different, Vogel said. And the goal of the clinic is not to make patients choose a particular course of action but to provide them with the information to make their own best choices.
In the end, it is very empowering, said Lucas, who meets with Vogel annually to stay up-to-date on the latest advances and continually evaluate her progress. In fact, Lucas credits Vogel's guidance in helping her stay in control after receiving the news that would change her life.
"My dad is a two-year breast cancer survivor," Lucas said. "He tested positive for the genetic mutation, BRCA2, which meant there was a 50 percent chance he had passed the gene to my sister and me."
Both Lucas and her sister chose to be tested as well, and both found they too were carriers of the gene.
"Not a lot of people understand the dynamics and what this really means. It's not a question of if you get breast cancer but when," Lucas said. "We also found out we were not only at a higher risk for breast cancer but also pancreatic, ovarian and skin cancer.
"It was a lot to absorb at the time."
With Vogel's help, however, Lucas found herself regaining hope.
"She said, 'OK, this is the gene you have, this is what it means, this is what is involved, and this is what is recommended. Let's form a plan of action. This is how we're going to tackle it.'
"It was wonderful to find somebody who knows what's going on – to say, 'This is what we're going to do to help you, and here are your options.' "
Because breast cancer can be estrogen driven, Lucas chose to undergo a prophylactic hysterectomy, including the ovaries, to reduce her risk. She has chosen not, at this time, to have prophylactic breast surgery but is holding it as an option for the future. And she diligently keeps up with all her medical screenings, from skin to gastrointestinal, to be on the alert for any future cancers.
More importantly, she feels in control of both her health and her life, no longer waiting in fear for a diagnosis of cancer but tackling the issue head on to delay, or prevent, its appearance.
"There are a lot of high-risk people out there who don't know it," Vogel said. "And there is a lot of false worry out there. We're here to accurately evaluate risk and provide a specific plan. And that gives our patients power."
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