The gene revelation of a family tree may have saved my life

Hannah Hovi was a year away from getting married when a revelation from the past reverse her life.

Through research on his offspring and family tree, his brother -in -law made a dangerous discovery.

Luke Emerton found that many women from the ancestral side died of breast cancer at an early age – including Hannah’s grandmother.

This led to a 34 -year -old genetic test and discovered that he had a defective gene, dramatically increases some cancer risk.

BRCA genes are present in every person, both men and women, but when one of them is a mistake, it can result in DNA damage and cells may have cancer.

People with a genetic version have a 50% chance of passing their children to pass it.

Luke told BBC Scotland News how he stumbled on search.

He said: “We were trying to pull a family tree together for Hannah’s father for our birthday and we found that there was a line of female relatives in favor of her father, who had died of breast cancer at an early age.

“We saw it with her rash, agnes, who died on 33.

“Then we started looking at a pattern.”

He said that the vastness of his discovery had so far hit the house.

Luke said: “If you look back, then it is very strange how it has come from that one gift.

“I am glad that we came to know like this and Hannah knows about it and can work on reducing the risk.

“The fact is that he is able to ensure all this, it is incredible.”

Prof. Josea Midzybrodeska of the University of Aberdeen, disrupted BRCA2 as a “giant gene” and said that it could “be wrong and wrong” in many ways.

And he said that the percentage difference between male and female cancer was “quite important”.

“Risk increase for a woman with breast cancer is up to 85%,” she said.

“It is 27% for prostate cancer and it is 10% for male breast cancer.

“If you know that you have a defective BRCA 2 gene, the only way is that there is a history of breast, prostate or ovarian cancer in the family.”

Cruise Ship Entertainer Hannah booked an appointment to find out if he had a gene, which dramatically increases the risk of ovarian cancer.

He told the BBC Scotland News: “I had to find out if I had a faulty BRCA 2 gene.

“Some people don’t want to know, but for my purity, I really had to know.”

A few weeks later, in November 2023, it was confirmed that Hannah had a BRCA 2 gene.

She immediately turned into a survivor mode.

Hannah said: “When I heard the news, a lot of treatment options were available.

“I knew that I would have to choose what would give me the most longevity in my life.

“The life I lead is great to go to it.”

Entertainer said that he has very little doubt about what to do.

He said: “The doctor explained that the biggest risk average would be for a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.

“If I go for this option, the risk of breast cancer falls from 85% to 5%.

“It was a no-brine for me. It was what I had to do.”

Hannah is to remove breast tissue and reduce your risk of breast cancer due to going to a double mastectomy next week.

This will be followed by reconstruction surgery in the next few months.

Breast Cancer Surgeon Dr. Liz O’Ryordon said: “We cannot say that the percentage of BRCA 2 after surgery is 0% because it is impossible to know if we have removed all breast tissue.

“It is like removing seeds from an orange. You may not be sure that you have all got them.

“Even after surgery, our patients are called hypervigible in checking themselves.

“You can’t be very careful when checking your body for any lumps or bumps.”

Hannah, who is just one year older than her late gran, is getting her treatment through NHS.

She is being supported by her husband, Graeme McLeen, who married in December last year.

Hannah said: “I started thinking about children.

“If I have, I risk them passing the gene.

“I really want my future children like the possibility of me?”

Hannah, who is from Edinburgh, but now lives in Motherwell, said she was overwhelmed by the idea of ​​this happening.

He said: “When I decided that I will start taking my life day by day, hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute.

“I had to do for my purity.”

To cope with the development of life-changing, Hannah has written and acted in a cabaret called a funeral for my breast.

He said: “I know that this is something that will look negatively.

“Looking at it positively has really helped me come with it.

“I call it a fun-wise for my breast because for me it seems that I am welcoming the next chapter of my life.”

Meanwhile, he said that he is grateful to his brother -in -law’s “geekiness”, whose research changed everything.

He said: “Mentally and physically, knowing this has been a very big game-changer.

“I have had to reconsider my entire future, but knowing that I have been allowed to do before and prepare for it.

“This is a luxury. Many people do not have it.”