Act in time to prevent hereditary cancer

The dynamic former Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality mayor, Marlene van Staden, passed away in June after the breast cancer she was diagnosed with a year before, spread to her brain. This mother of two young boys was aged only 42.

Van Staden had the BRCA-1 gene mutation, a hereditary condition that widely affected her family, her sister Christie Steyn told Die Pos.

“Our goal is to raise awareness on this matter so that people have knowledge of the risk factors and can act in time.”

Van Staden’s mother, Dalene Vermaak, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and tested positive for the BRCA-1 gene mutation. After chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and a total hysterectomy, she is a cancer survivor.

When Marlene also tested positive for the mutation, both her sisters went for genetic testing to ensure they acted in time to avoid a repeat of Marlene’s tragic story.

The foundation’s website, www.angelm.org.za, details of how the gene mutation affected her family over several generations. Her great-grandparents, who were never diagnosed with cancer, had seven sons and one daughter. Six of their seven sons, including Marlene’s grandfather, succumbed to cancer. Their sister was diagnosed with cancer at age 48 and was in remission for seven years before passing away at age 54.

Two cousins of Marlene’s mother were also diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45. Both had bilateral mastectomies and hysterectomies and are breast cancer survivors.

In 2012, a second cousin of Marlene was diagnosed with cancer and learned about familial breast cancer. She underwent genetic testing and was found positive for the BRCA 1 mutation. This acted as a marker that gave the family answers as to why so many of them got cancer.

Mammogram normal

Although Marlene went for a breast screening in 2021, she was declared fit and in good health. She did, however, become aware of a lump in her left breast at the beginning of 2022, with pain developing in her breast and arm. She went for another mammogram and even though she mentioned that she has a family history of cancer, the conclusion was that the mammogram and ultrasound were normal.

The pain in her breast and arm continued and spread to her back. In an effort to address the pain, she consulted a plastic surgeon to have the lump removed.

During her visit on 1 September 2022, the surgeon sent her for a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. On 5 September she received a call from her doctor confirming that she had breast cancer. It was already stage 4 and some of her lymph nodes were also affected.

Four chemotherapy sessions followed, three weeks apart, followed by another 12 weekly sessions of grueling chemotherapy. Through this, she kept up with the rigorous workload of being a mayor. She was dedicated to performing her tasks and adhering to a strenuous work schedule as much as she held online meetings whilst receiving her chemotherapy treatments.

She received the confirmed test results that she was indeed a carrier of the BRCA 1 mutation gene, the exact marker as her mother and cousin.

Remission

After 16 chemo sessions, she was declared as being in remission, and in April this year, she underwent a successful bilateral mastectomy. She received the news that the cancer had shrunk by 99% with only a few isolated cancer cells remaining. A further 15 radiology sessions were done to prevent any further cancer.

Unfortunately, Marlene suffered from severe headaches and received antibiotics for a possible infection. The pain, however, continued. She was rushed to the Medi Clinic in Polokwane on Wednesday 17 May by her colleagues after becoming confused and disorientated. Marlene and her family received the devastating news that the cancer had metastasized to her brain. This, according to the website, happens only to 10 to 15% of patients with stage 4 breast cancer. The risk is highest in those with more aggressive subtypes such as triple-negative, as in Marlene’s case. She passed away, surrounded by her family, shortly after that.

Creating awareness

Following her sudden and unexpected journey with cancer, her family and friends felt compelled to act by creating awareness of hereditary cancer among health professionals. They want to encourage people to get a second opinion to undergo biopsies where necessary, and, most importantly, be aware of their family history. Get to know if you are a carrier of the BRCA 1 or 2 gene and if there is any evidence in your family history of cancer. With timeous action, the development of this devastating cancer can be prevented.

The foundation wants to support both patients and their families through the process of testing and treatment. They aim to create a multi-disciplinary team of experts to support families with inherited harmful variants of BRCA1 or BRCA2.

The foundation will be launched on Saturday 18 November at 10:00 at Die Abraham Koffiehuis at the Abraham Kriel Children’s Home in Modimolle. Residents are encouraged to support this drive. Tickets are R120 and bookings can be made with Christie Fourie on tel. 083 299 8172 or Adri Stolz on tel. 083 290 3633.