The Journey was hereditary, and my first thoughts were of my children and grandchildren. It’s one thing to deal with the illness yourself, but an entirely different emotional scenario to think your kids might be impacted, too.” Donna Markey and Claire deBrun Claire deBrun’s cancer journey is not one that she is taking on her own; she is walking the journey with her family. Claire has Lynch Syndrome, which is among the most common hereditary cancer syndromes—according to Cancer.Net, as many as one in every 300 people may be carriers of an alteration in a gene associated with Lynch Syndrome. People with Lynch Syndrome have a higher risk of certain types of cancer and also are at an increased risk of developing multiple cancers in their lifetimes. There are clues to whether there is Lynch Syndrome in a family. They include multiple relatives with cancer on one side of the family, especially if the cancers are diagnosed at a young age. Claire had the markers: She had uterine cancer at age 50, an adenoma on her thyroid later and some pre-cancerous skin ‘spots’ that were removed; her mother had uterine cancer at age 30 and then bladder cancer later; a cousin died of cancer at age 54. Still, she was unsuspecting until her dermatologist, on a hunch, did some deeper investigation when removing a second benign lesion. She sent the sample for diagnosis and it was positive for Lynch Syndrome. The 10 AUGUSTA HEALTH • CANCER PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT 2019 dermatologist, ironically named Dr. Jane Lynch, referred Claire to Donna Markey, RN, MSN, ACNP-cs. Donna is Augusta Health’s Medical Oncology and Genetics Professional. “In truth, while cancer might ‘run in families’, only about 10% of all cancers are hereditary,” says Donna. “Hereditary means a gene mutation causes the cancer. For people with hereditary cancer, though, the risk of developing cancer is much higher than the general population.” So Claire began her journey by setting up a genetic cancer screening with Donna. After the blood work, they met in person—not a phone call—to discuss the results. “I’m a person who likes face-to-face contact, not phone conversations, and Donna was the type to insist on a personal meeting, too,” says Claire. “She also laid out all the information, which is exactly what I wanted. If I don’t know the information, I can’t understand what’s happening.” “Donna is a good listener with thoughtful responses,” adds Claire. “Still, it hit me hard to find out the cancer Throughout the process, Claire’s mantra became something one of her children said to her: You’re OK until you’re not OK. And the corollary: And when you’re not OK, we’ll do something. “At first, I thought it was kind of flip, but I came to realize it’s actually brilliant. And it’s how we’ve handled things since that day;” explains Claire. Donna Markey’s counseling and guidance have kept Claire at Augusta Health’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Claire says, “She’s very professional and very caring. Along with Dr. Velji, my oncologist, I’ve had nothing but a positive experience” as she’s completed the multiple screenings and procedures that have become her surveillance program. “It’s a community hospital here, and I’m so comfortable with everyone I’ve worked with. I know that we’re connected and that they always put my needs and concerns first, to be sure we’re headed in the direction that I am most comfortable with.” Because of her concerns for her family, Claire appreciates that Invitae, the partner Augusta Health uses for genetic screening testing, provides free screening for her close relatives. Her siblings were tested and were negative. Her cousins have not been tested yet. Her children were tested, and some were positive. continued on page 11
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