Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/133261
JUNE 2013 Page 6A • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove Local woman takes preventive measures against cancer By Lisa Fedorowicz Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – Her mother was young when she lost her battle with breast cancer. While Monica Hinek believed her risk was high, it wasn't until her younger sister was diagnosed with the same cancer that Hinek decided she wanted to know. "It's always been something that weighed on my mind," said Hinek, 38, of New Berlin. In September 2011, Hinek underwent genetic testing. "We're both BRCA2 positive," Hinek said of herself and her sister. For Hinek, it wasn't a difficult decision to undergo genetic testing. Her mother was 39 when she was diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer. Her mother lost her battle at age 43, when Hinek was 18 and her younger sister was 14. Two years ago, Hinek's sister underwent a breast MRI, which found she was in the earliest stage of breast cancer. "Seeing what my mom went through … I always knew I was a higher risk. In my mind, I wanted to know for certain," said Hinek, who has a daughter, Naomi, 3, and son, Nathan, 5. Genes linked to breast cancer There are a number of genes linked to breast and ovarian cancers, but the two most common are BRCA1 and BRCA2, said Kristin Sanden, a genetic counselor at ProHealth Care. Actress Angelina Jolie recently revealed she tested positive for a genetic flaw in the BRCA1 gene, and she underwent a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer. While Dr. Christopher Hake, a medical oncologist and director of the Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment Program at ProHealth Care, said he's heard more patients talking about Jolie's disclosure, he's not sure they understand it. The average risk a person faces for developing breast cancer is about 11 percent, and ovarian cancer is 1 percent, Sanden said. Once a person tests positive for having a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, the risk of developing breast cancer increases to more than 80 percent, Sanden said. The risk of developing ovarian cancer increases to about 25 percent for BRCA1 and 15 to 20 percent BRCA2, she said. Who should get tested A doctor refers a patient to a genetic counselor, who conducts a risk assessment. Sanden said she looks at whether the patient is at higher risk, what is the appropriate screening and whether genetic testing is necessary . "We can't ignore the family history said Rachel ," Coburn, a certified genetic counselor at Wheaton Fran- Local high schools named to Newsweek's top 2,000 WAUKESHA – Newsweek and The Daily Beast have jointly assembled a list of the top 2,000 high schools in the nation and dozens of schools from southeastern Wisconsin made the cut. Making the grade in Waukesha County and the surrounding area were Brookfield East (No. 230), New Berlin Eisenhower (No. 462), Brookfield Central (No. 504), Pewaukee (No. 553), Kettle Moraine (No. 683), New Berlin West (No. 743), Hamilton (No. 963), Waterford Union (No. 1,033), Mukwonago (No. 1,054), Waukesha West (No. 1,265), Oconomowoc (No. 1,648), eAchieve Academy (No. 1,667), Waukesha South (No. 1,678), and Waukesha North (No. 1,761). Criteria included graduation rate, college acceptance rate, Advanced Placement/ International Baccalaureate/Advance International Certificate of Education tests taken per student, average SAT/ACT scores, average AP/IB/AICE scores and the percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB/AICE course to determine the schools' rankings. More than 5,000 of an estimated 21,000 high schools in the nation were reviewed. ciscan Healthcare, adding that 5 to 10 percent of breast cancer is hereditary . Patients should consider genetic testing if they have a close relative with breast cancer under age 50, three or more relatives with breast cancer at any age, or a family member who had male breast cancer. Genetic tests use blood or saliva and costs range from $3,400 to $4,000. The cost is covered by most insurance, according to Sanden and Coburn. "I think people who have a strong family lineage of breast cancer in their family … I think it's important for them to seriously consider it," Hinek said of genetic testing. But, she added, "It's very important that people think through how having that information is going to affect their life. "Knowing, it does give you an advantage. It puts you in control for better prevention," Hinek said. "Once you have the cancer, you lose the control to make all the decisions." Surgery isn't the only option A patient who tests positive can have a mastectomy to remove both breasts and breast reconstruction, Hake said. Patients can also remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes, which decreases the risk of breast cancer. Hinek underwent a hysterectomy in November 2011, followed by a prophylactic double mastectomy with reconstruction in March 2012. "It does change your life to have surgeries," Hinek said, but added she feels as normal now as she did before the surgeries. Yet Coburn noted, "(A mastectomy) does not completely take the cancer risk away ." It reduces the risk by 95 to 98 percent, she said. Hake and Coburn said patients can opt against surgery and continue with screenings, including mammograms, breast MRI and clinical breast exams. There is also medicine that reduces the risk of cancer. Your family history Sanden and Coburn encouraged people to discuss and learn about their family medical history on their maternal and paternal sides. "It's important to talk with family about your medical history so people can understand how it may affect them as well," Sanden said. Sanden said U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin has a website – My Family Health Portrait at familyhistory .hhs.gov – where people are encouraged to start the dialogue and create their family medical history . A couple of websites that offer support groups and more information are Bright Pink at brightpink.org and Facing Our Risk Empowered at facingourrisk.org. Email: lfedorowicz@conleynet.com Submitted photo Monica Hinek with her husband, Kent, and their children, Nathan, 5, and Naomi, 3. Monica Hinek underwent genetic testing after her mother died from breast cancer at a young age and her younger sister was diagnosed with an early stage of the disease. Survey: Teens seeking summer jobs remain undaunted Nearly 90% expect to find work, despite 24% teen unemployment rate By Josh Perttunen Freeman Staff WAUKESHA – Despite a 24 percent unemployment rate, the majority of teens participating in Junior Achievement USA's "Teens and Summer Jobs" survey felt confident that they could find summer work. Nationally, 63 percent of teens 14 to 18 years old reported that they plan to get a job this summer. Of those, 92 percent answered that they feel "very" or "somewhat" confident that they will find seasonal work. The same survey revealed that only 38 percent of them held a summer job previously. In Wisconsin, 87 percent of the teens surveyed were confident that they would find summer employment, and 39 percent had held a summer job in the past. Teens said they would rely on their parents' connections, online job postings and watching store windows for "now hiring" signs to secure their employment. Nationally, the majority (72 percent) of teens felt they would earn between $7.25 and $10 per hour. Only 37 percent of Wisconsin teens felt they would fall within this range. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests 21 percent or less of working teenagers earned minimum wage or less in 2012, compared with about 3 percent of workers who are 25 years or older. In a statement, Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, applauded teenage job seekers. "We hope teens who can't find jobs this summer due to a still-challenging job market do not become too discouraged," he added. "There are still ways to earn valuable experience through volunteering or by creating your own opportunities by starting a business – such as a lawn-mowing service or house-sitting service." The national survey was conducted Feb. 5-15. To gather results, 1,025 teens were questioned. Local surveys were conducted online from Jan. 23 through March 19. Email: jperttunen@conleynet.com 232419002 SOERENS FORD Bride's Guide All New ESCAPE "Home of the Nice Guys" 2013 Love is in the air. Know your options and make an informed decision to make your dream wedding a reality. Find local wedding professionals in our annual summer section – Brides Guide. Inside the July edition. op Us 24/7 Sh www.soerens.com 232290003 18900 W Capitol Dr. Brookfield, WI 53045 262-781-9800