Science- Former NBC anchor Jenna Wolfe revealed last month that she tested positive for the BRCA1 mutation.
- Having the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation increases a person's risk for ovarian and breast cancer.
Jenna Wolfe is on the road to recovery after taking her health into her own hands.
The former NBC news anchor, 49, revealed last month in an Instagram post that she had tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation, putting her at a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer. As a result, she decided to undergo a preventive hysterectomy and mastectomy.
She shared her latest update following her mastectomy in a new Instagram post noting the mixed feelings that come along with making a decision like this. "I have to keep reminding myself that this is the process," she wrote, "slow progress, painful at times, encouraging at others, sometimes ugly, sometimes messy, always worth it if it means I'll be around for a long time."
BRCA mutations increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 500 women have a mutation in their BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Though not every person with these mutations will develop cancer, having one or both mutations increases potential risk significantly.
Around 50 out of 100 women with either a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations will get breast cancer by the time they are 70, while only to only 7 out of 100 women without the gene will develop cancer in that time. Likewise, 30 out of 100 women with either of the mutations will get ovarian cancer by age 70, compared to fewer than 1 out of 100 without the mutation.
Having a preventive double mastectomy, also called a prophylactic mastectomy, can help reduce someone's risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 90% according to the American Cancer Society. However since it is impossible to remove all breast tissue during the procedure, some risk will remain.
Wolfe is one of many women planning for her future
Wolfe is not the first high-profile name to be proactive about her future breast health. Angelina Jolie put a spotlight on the issue when she underwent an elective mastectomy in 2013 after discovering that she had the BRCA1 gene mutation, and shared her story as an op-ed in the New York Times.
Wolfe appears to be taking her recovery in stride, adding that she's been able to accomplish quite a bit while she heals.
"I finally finished 'Succession' (well I'm all caught up), I read 2 books, finished a crossword puzzle in under 35 minutes, learned all about the debt ceiling, and can now arrange multiple play dates for my kids with multiple transportation legs on multiple days," she shared on Instagram.