Sifting Through Stories to Find What’s Right for Me

Joy Larsen Haidle, MS, LGC

Celebrities. We are fascinated by them. We often want to be like them. And we often take their advice based on their personal experience. Recently, Christina Applegate announced she had her ovaries removed after learning she tested positive for a BRCA1 mutation (more on that below). Applegate, a breast cancer survivor who has had a double mastectomy, is now an advocate for giving women access to genetic testing that might tell them if they’re at a higher risk for cancer due to genetic mutations. Additionally, she advocates for access to additional breast cancer screening measures in women who are high risk (i.e. breast MRI screening in addition to mammography). Applegate also discusses how having knowledge about her genetic risk will affect her daughter’s personal healthcare decisions.

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