BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
Beverly Thompson of Clarkston was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and received treatment, but that was just the start for the Thompson family.
The BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene mutation responsible put her daughters Brittany and Tori Thompson at risk as well for breast and ovarian cancers.
“I got tested immediately (in 2013), because I am a person who would rather know something than not,” Tori said. “When I found out that I indeed had the gene mutation, I decided to act quickly. I didn’t make this decision lightly.”
Brittany decided to find out if she carried the gene mutation about six months later.
The results were again positive.
“There was a lot to think about when making the decision,” she said. “There are a lot of pros and cons.”
Both daughters had a 50 percent chance of carrying the gene mutation.
“I talked and prayed about it with my family,” Tori said. “I also did a lot of research about the BRCA gene mutation with other hospitals and doctors. I saw a young 21-year-old girl have triple-negative breast cancer because of the BRCA gene; I was 25 at the time.”
Tori chose to undergo a risk-reduction mastectomy, removal of her breasts, at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center rather than pursue close monitoring.
“My heart is for international missions and ministry, and many of the countries I would volunteer in wouldn’t have ready or capable oncologists that I could afford to check up with on a semi-regular basis,” she said. “I also had very good insurance at that point in my life, and I knew I would lose it within a year; especially going into missions work.”
Brittany, 28 and a 2008 graduate of Clarkston High School, opted for the risk reduction mastectomy at CTCA at Midwestern in 2015.
“Before my surgery, I met with a lot of people, those who have gone through cancer and those who went through this preventative surgery. They were so supportive,” she said.
These were serious decisions and difficult to watch, said Mark Thompson, their father and Beverly’s husband. “It was much more difficult than I had imagined. Family and broader support was absolutely critical.”
Everybody handles it differently, Beverly said.
“Some ignore it, go on with life, see what happens. There’s an enormous benefit to be proactive about this,” she said. “There has been a lot of research – if you’re positive for the gene, it’s not if, but when you get cancer. We prayed a lot, discussed it lot. It’s a difficult process.”
The BRCA gene mutation has probably being in the family for hundreds of years, said Beverly, whose cancer was detected during a yearly checkup.
“They saw something on the chest wall. They had a tough time finding it,” she said. “A month later, they confirmed it was cancer. Everything was put on hold.”
“Having my mother go through cancer, with surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, I believe that my family knew the downside to a loved one having cancer,” Tori said. “So for me to do something to prevent that outcome on some level was greeted with resounding support. They would support me no matter what choice I made, but when I had made my decision, I felt encouraged by my family and friends.”
Some strangers or acquaintances looked on the decision negatively, she said.
“Perceptions caused by the fact that I wouldn’t be able to breast feed my babies if I were to have any in the future,” she said. “Although valid concerns, I knew that it was my choice. I had also researched baby formula and how much better it has gotten over the years. In my opinion, I wanted to be there for my children in the future, rather than to be inactive and have more of a likelihood of getting sick. But the decision that I made then to have a preventative double mastectomy was what was best for me. It may not be what is best for everyone.”
Tori found CTCA was the best option for her and chose to go through them to have the preventative surgery.
“I found out only then that I would be the first person in the Cancer Treatment Centers of America location in Illinois history to have a preventative surgery there,” she said. “CTCA had me see a psychiatrist to make sure that I was emotionally knowledgeable and ready for an operation like this. They also had me take other physical tests to be certain I was up for the surgery. Some of these things I did at the center, and some I did with local doctors.”
“They made sure I was OK with it. They gave me all the information,” Brittany said.
The knowledge and techniques developed in recent years give people the opportunity to take action if they choose, Mark said.
“Before, we were ignorant. It’s a blessing to know and have choices, but very difficult choices,” he said.
Beverly’s treatment at CTCA included bilateral mastectomy, removal of her ovaries, seven weeks of radiation, and reconstructive surgery.
“We were so well taken care of at CTCA, the doctors are so qualified, ” she said. “A huge part of it is the relationships, such great support from my husband, family, and friends, and my faith in Christ. I put my life in his hands. That made the difference.”
Yearly checkups will continue for her, she said.
“The first five years are still a crucial time,” she said. “I have to be very careful.”
Brittany will go back in a year to see how she’s doing, and her ovaries will have to be removed at the center at some point, she said.
“It’s not easy but I have no complaints,” said Brittany, who has plans for work and family. Tori also has no regrets about being proactive.
“A few months after my surgery was complete, I went on an 11-month missions trip to 11 different countries through a ministry called The World Race. Within that year I taught English to village children, served food at an AIDS clinic, preached in churches, built and stayed at orphanages, and visited prisons,” she said.
She now teaches at an International school in São Paulo Brazil.
“I felt more free to do these things, because I wasn’t having to look over my shoulder and wonder at any sickness or discovery on my body, if maybe the boogy man cancer had caught me. I could live my life normally,” she said. “I know that I still need to be tested every so often, and that I still may get cancer in the future, just like many other people. But I know that I have at least cut my chances down and have started off on the offensive and not defensive. I’ve been given the gift to throw the first punch at cancer, and I’m grateful for that opportunity.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are about 1.38 million new cases and 458,000 deaths from breast cancer each year. Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women worldwide, both in the developed and developing countries, according to the World Health Organization.

  Breast Cancer Awareness Month