HOUSTON — “My mom started talking to me about it very young, like in my early 20s.”
Theresa Reed has an extensive family history when it comes to breast cancer. Her great-grandfather had it, as did her grandmother and two great aunts.
“And now, two of my aunts have breast cancer, so it’s always been on my radar,” says Reed.
Testing revealed Reed had the RAD-50 genetic marker.
Reed received the news after her first daughter was born, and decided she wanted to be proactive and have a double mastectomy.
“But I wanted one more child, so I after I’m done breastfeeding my second baby, I will move forward with the surgery.”
Reed says she made the decision after speaking extensively with her oncologist Dr. Jessica Trevino Jones, with UT Physicians.
“We can actually prevent 50% of breast cancer diagnoses,” says Dr. Jones.
Dr. Jones says, despite being preventable in many cases, breast cancer is still the second-leading cause of death in women.
She spearheads the Breast Cancer Prevention Program and wants women to know that prevention comes in many forms: from mammograms to breast MRIs, to surgery and medications, and even self-exams.
“I want women to know what’s normal for their own bodies, because their physician should listen to them.”
Reed plans to have her surgery in the next few weeks and is ready to do what she feels is best, to remain cancer free.
“I want to watch my daughters grow up."