Spring-2023

I f you had the option to find out whether you’re prone to develop certain cancers—to know which ticking time bombs might take up residence inside your body—would you choose to? I did, and although the results were a bit shocking, I’m pleased with my decision. I feel like I now have tools to help prevent an explosion. The scenario started when I did a favor for a well-respected local gastroenterologist, Dr. Dan Luba, who also spearheads a nonprofit called Project DNA. Project DNA has a slogan about genetic testing: “We can’t change your family history, but we can change your family’s future.” In the public service announcement I recorded, I pleaded with viewers to “Know your Tyrer-Cuzick score!” That score computes percentages based on your family history of cancer and determines whether it’s recommended you have further genetic testing. My wake-up call started after I booked a long overdue mammo- gram at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. (At age 57, I had waited a nail-biting five years between screenings.) I answered the family background questions that were required in order to make the appointment. After my mammogram, the technician said, “You have a highTyrer-Cuzick score. Someone will contact you from our genetics team.” I didn’t think much about it until I got the call. I agreed to being tested, eager to see how it all worked. After spitting into a tube, much like most at-home Covid tests, and having an informative chat with an enthusiastic, help- ful nurse practitioner, I was finished. I would be screened for more than a dozen known gene mutations.Three weeks later, I was asked to come back to the office.“Can’t you give me my results over the phone?” I heard a sense of urgency.“Sorry, we need to see you in person.” It’s never a good thing when a professional uses phrases such as “in shock.” I was positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation car- ried by an estimated one in 400 people. It’s a genetic typo linked to breast and ovarian cancer—despite me having only one such diagnosis in my family at a late stage in life.The nurse practitioner and I had wondered if I’d have what’s called “Lynch Syndrome” due to the amount of early-age gastric cancer in my family. I didn’t.Truth be told, I’d figured my results would say “none of the above” once the lab had performed its magic. Instead, I came up with what’s often referred to as the “Angelina Jolie Gene” which also increases the occurrence of prostate cancer in men, and pancreatic cancer and melanoma in men and women. Great. But now I knew. Immediately, medical tests were scheduled, and the poking and prodding began. I’d only been to the doctor a few times over the last several years, and suddenly I had appointments for screenings and blood work as frequently as I go to the grocery store. After a slew of tests, I exhaled when I got the all clear: breast and brain MRI, ovarian ultrasound, abdominal organs ultrasound, colonoscopy. Because of the stress I’d internal- ized I developed an awful, burning stomachache and qualified for an endoscopy, too. In that test, the doctor found a few small bleeding spots and removed a tiny precancerous polyp from my stomach.Without the BRCA2 diagnosis, I would not have pushed for the endoscopy. In the end I was given a clean bill of health. As of January, my ovaries and fallopian tubes have been removed.A prophylactic mastectomy might be next, and I con- sider it a small sacrifice—pardon the pun. I share this story earnestly, and without much negative emotion, because I am one of the lucky ones who was able to obtain a genetic muta- tion diagnosis without first having cancer. I’m a proponent. But, when I talk about genetic testing, reactions are mixed. Some friends exclaim, “I need those tests ASAP!” Others, “I’d never do that!” One of the “nevers” has come from a surgeon who tells me she simply couldn’t stand the stress of knowing. But for me, it’s a relief. A chance to stave off whatever nefarious brew might be slowly churning away, deep inside my cells. And I cel- ebrate not only knowing (even at the cost of several parts of the female anatomy), but also living in an area that offers such cutting-edge, preventative medicine. To learn more, visit, www.ProjectDNA.org Dina Ruiz is a former news anchor at KSBW TV, past host of “Candid Camera” and has starred on a reality show on the E! Network. She is a writer, editor and yogini. She resides on the Monterey Peninsula with her daughter, Morgan. BEHIND THE SPOTLIGHT D I N A R U I Z But now I knew. Immediately, medical tests were scheduled, and the poking and prodding began. Thoughts on Genetic Testing 46 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 3