Hollings Horizons Winter/Spring 2026 - Magazine - Page 11
“There’s going to be that fear...I just think that when it
came down to it, I decided that it was better to have the
information than to be fearful of something that I didn’t
know was going to happen.”
Kenneth Reid had a strong family history of colon cancer. When he was
offered genetic testing when he was diagnosed in 1998, he turned it down. He
was afraid the results could be used against him or his children.
But when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few years ago, he changed
his mind. The testing revealed that he has Lynch syndrome.
Knowing this, he said, “gave me a sense of how to approach my treatment
and to make decisions about my treatment. Right now, I’m living my best life
because of the aggressive decisions I made.”
“I would rather be proactive and do the screenings. That
way, if I do get cancer, I’m going to find out early rather
than find out when I’m sick.”
Carson Thomas signed up for In Our DNA SC, which tests for three high-risk
genetic mutations, because he thought it would be fun to learn more about his
ancestry.
The test told him he has Lynch syndrome, which puts him at risk for colon
cancer and other cancers.
Knowing this, he gets yearly colonoscopies and every-other-year endoscopies.
“I would highly encourage people, if there’s breast
cancer in your family, to be tested.” — Debbie Herman
Mother-daughter duo Debbie Herman and Emily Huggins learned they
have a BRCA2 gene mutation. This makes them more vulnerable to breast
cancer, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer.
Huggins decided to have a prophylactic mastectomy – surgery before being
diagnosed.
Herman decided on extra screening, which caught her breast cancer at an
early stage – so early that she needed only surgery, with no chemotherapy or
radiation.
Herman will now get regular screening for pancreatic cancer.
hollingscancercenter.musc.edu
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