In March 2015, at the age of 41, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not long after, I learned that I have a genetic mutation that gives me a Monster of a rare disorder called Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), which makes me prone to getting all sorts of different cancers.
My grandmother died at the age of 34 of breast cancer. Her mother died at the age of 47 of breast cancer. My uncle died at the age of 11 of a brain tumor. My father has had multiple primary cancers, but thankfully, he’s still going strong.
Sometimes I use photography, video and writing to deal with having LFS. The video at the end of this post is an example.
Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Facts:
- LFS “core” cancers are breast, brain, sarcoma and adrenocortical, but LFS can cause cancer anywhere at any age.
- 50% of LFS cancers occur before age 30.
- New cancers from radiation treatment are more likely in people with LFS.
- Men with LFS have a 73% lifetime chance of developing cancer.
- Women with LFS have a nearly 100% lifetime chance of cancer.
- People with LFS can have multiple types of cancer throughout their lives, or even at one time.
- For people with LFS, the risk of developing a primary second cancer is 57%. The risk of a third, 38%.
source: LivingLFS.org
