Read Time: 5 minutes
What would you do if you had information that could help save your family? You wouldn鈥檛 share it discreetly, you鈥檇 scream it from the mountaintops. Sara Bryant-Hart certainly would.
In 2016, Sara was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer of the small intestine. Eight weeks after Sara鈥檚 surgery, her brother, Phillip, was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. 鈥淲hen the doctor was asking Phillip questions, his wife had to remind him he had a relative with cancer鈥攎e,鈥 Sara says.
That coincidence was of interest to the genetic counselors at Huntsman Cancer Institute.
鈥淚 had just had surgery and my doctor asked if I wanted to take part in genetic testing. They said my cancer usually only occurred with people in their 70s and they wanted to see why I had this rare type of disease. Eventually, it dawned on me why they were so interested in my case,鈥 Sara says.
Sara was told she had Lynch syndrome, a dominant genetic condition associated with a high risk of colon, endometrial, ovarian, stomach, small intestine, brain, and skin cancers.
鈥淚 got two rounds of palliative chemo before they knew I had Lynch syndrome. Before my third round, my oncologist, Dr. Garrido-Laguna, said it wouldn鈥檛 be as effective because of my genetic condition. Having genetic testing saved me from that stress of receiving unnecessary palliative chemotherapy.鈥
鈥淲hen I found out about my diagnosis, I felt like it was my responsibility to let my relatives know.鈥
Geneticists discovered that Lynch syndrome had been passed down from her dad and Sara sent a note to extended family members explaining her results. 鈥淚 had never heard of it and just assumed I was part of a larger study, but then I realized they were trying to figure out my story and help my family.鈥
As her extended family members got genetic testing, Sara learned of even more relatives who had Lynch syndrome. This information proved helpful to Phillip鈥檚 colon cancer treatment plan. 鈥淣ow he鈥檚 been cancer free for six and-a-half years.鈥
Despite that information, Sara鈥檚 brother, Chris, wasn鈥檛 convinced. 鈥淚t took a while for him to get tested. His wife made him realize he had to do this for his kids, their future, and well-being.鈥
Chris and his wife have been together for more than 25 years. He鈥檚 a loyal, loving husband with four children. 鈥淐hris is always there to help and be a handyman in every situation. He鈥檚 someone who takes care of everyone else around him,鈥 Sara adds.
Chris found out that he has Lynch syndrome. While in the process of scheduling screening appointments, he started showing signs of sickness. CT scans found abdominal masses.
The results were not promising. Chris was told he had a 10% chance of survival at another institution. 鈥淲e got Chris into Huntsman Cancer Institute and his doctors told him that pancreatic cancer had metastasized to his adrenal glands.鈥 Doctors treated him with specific chemotherapy drugs coupled with immunotherapy. His oncologist informed him that Lynch syndrome cancers respond incredibly well to both treatments.
What would Sara say to people who need to get genetic testing?
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only about you. It鈥檚 about everyone in your universe. You need to communicate your results with your family. Testing and screening is paramount to people鈥檚 well-being and not sharing that information could be dangerous.鈥
Chris is now being seen regularly at Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 clinic in Farmington. He visits with an oncologist and goes to the infusion clinic 20 minutes from his house. 鈥淭he care has been fantastic,鈥 Sara says. 鈥淪ince I live in Centerville, more often than not I go to Farmington too, because it鈥檚 so close and convenient.鈥
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 predict the future, but you can learn if you鈥檙e going to have a higher chance of developing cancer.鈥
In regards to her care, Sara has been impressed by Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 attention to detail. 鈥淓veryone works together and is in it for the greater good. Their goal and desire to treat people is something palpable. My genetic counselor scheduled me for an endoscopic ultrasound after my brother鈥檚 pancreatic cancer diagnosis. I didn鈥檛 have to make the appointment. My counselor is on top of things and it takes away so much of the stress.鈥
We all have a family member who doesn鈥檛 go to the doctor regularly. Maybe they don鈥檛 feel comfortable sharing their personal details or are worried about the results. But Sara wants to emphasize the benefits of genetic testing.
鈥淭here are a lot of negative feelings towards genetic testing. People think of the movie Gattaca and it鈥檚 not like that. This has been life-changing. My health and life insurance were not affected. It provides you with options. When I found out about my diagnosis, I felt like it was my responsibility to let my relatives know. You can鈥檛 predict the future, but you can learn if you鈥檙e going to have a higher chance of developing cancer. Not many people get a chance like this and I鈥檓 glad I鈥檓 one of them.鈥
Cancer can be unpredictable, but 10% of patients develop it due to hereditary conditions like Lynch syndrome. Knowing your family history is beneficial, but might not be sufficient when trying to figure out your cancer risk.
As Sara pointed out, life can change quickly, so we encourage people to know their family's medical history and talk to their care team about any changes. Genetic testing guidelines are always changing due to improvements in technology.
If any of these descriptions sound familiar to you, please make time to meet with a genetic counselor.
- A close relative with cancer who is under the age of 50
- A close relative who has several types of cancers
- A male relative with breast cancer
- A close relative with ovarian cancer
- A parent, sibling, or child with pancreatic cancer
- Several close relatives on the same side of the family with the same type of cancer or cancers that can be related to each other (example: Lynch syndrome is connected to colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, gastric, small intestine, pancreas, and urinary tract cancers)
Close relatives include parents, siblings, children, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and half-siblings.
Have a question about Lynch syndrome or genetic testing?
Submit your questions using our . To learn more about genetic testing or schedule a meeting with a genetic counselor, call 801-587-9555.