What is BRCA2 gene? Wisconsin radio host undergoes double mastectomy after discovering she has a 58% chance of getting cancer
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: A well-known Wisconsin radio show host reportedly underwent a double mastectomy after discovering she has a gene in her body that increased her chances of getting different types of cancers. After the said procedure, Elizabeth Kay will reportedly undergo another surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to eliminate any potential risk.
The 41-year-old hosts the 99.1 The MIX, the Daily Mail reported. She recently learned that she had the BRCA2 gene, which meant she was at a 58% risk of getting cancer of the breast, ovaries and fallopian tubes. After speaking to her doctors, Kay underwent the surgery.
‘I don't want any part of cancer’
Kay, who is a mother-of-one, posted photos on Instagram before the procedure with the caption, “All set, let's do this,” and “Love my doctors.” She told WISN 12 News, “We have had a couple of members of our family in the past few years been diagnosed with breast cancer. And then we had another family member get diagnosed and similar in age and that made everyone kind of pause and wonder, 'OK, this is a hereditary cancer? What does this mean for the rest of us in the family?'”
Kay continued, “I have decided to go ahead and take these preventative measures similar to what Angelina Jolie has done, and have a bilateral mastectomy. Then I'll have reconstructive surgery, and then I will also have my ovaries and fallopian tubes removed,” adding, “This is serious. It's in my family and I am being proactive. I don't want any part of cancer. And if I can be preventative and I have this information, I'm going to do something with it."
'Know your risks, ask these questions of your doctors, be proactive'
Kay spoke about her situation on her Instagram page in May. She said, "These are hard conversations to have, but important ones!! Yes, I'm having a bilateral mastectomy this summer and then a salpingo-oophorectomy later this year. Here’s why…after family members were diagnosed with breast cancer, we discovered there is BRCA2 gene mutation in our family and it’s hereditary."
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"I’m not taking that chance and I’m taking matters into my own hands and choosing LIFE!! My bilateral mastectomy is in July and later this year will be my reconstructive surgery and my salpingo-oophorectomy. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER…know your risks, ask these questions of your doctors, be proactive," Kay explained.
What is the BRCA2 gene?
According to MedlinePlus, the BRCA2 is responsible for giving directions “for making a protein that acts as a tumor suppressor. Tumor suppressor proteins help prevent cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way.”
"The BRCA2 protein is involved in repairing damaged DNA and researchers suspect that the BRCA2 protein has additional functions within cells. For example, the protein may help regulate cytokinesis, which is the step in cell division when the fluid surrounding the nucleus (the cytoplasm) divides to form two separate cells. Researchers are investigating the protein's other potential activities,” the website further read.
