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Breast Cancer Scenario

Your mother Judith, who has always been healthy, has decided she really doesn't want to get tested to find out if she carries the mutation herself. The trouble is, you would like to know. If your mother doesn't carry the mutation, you can feel confident you didn't inherit it, because your father doesn't have a family history of breast cancer. But if your mother does carry the mutation, there's a 50-percent chance that she passed it on to you. If you have the mutation, your chances of getting cancer at an early age are very high.

You're the kind of person who wants to know the truth, no matter how difficult. If you're at high risk for breast cancer, you want to face that head-on, now. The problem is, if you get tested yourself and find you have the mutation, that means your mother has it as well. You don't think you could keep such a thing secret from her - but she doesn't want to know.

Should you get tested anyway?

Yes, get tested.

No, don't get tested.