Understanding BRCA

At the age of 35, mum of two, Clarissa Foster, was found to carry a harmful mutation in the BRCA2 gene, which drastically increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She was given statistics such as a 45-85% lifetime risk of breast cancer and 10-30% lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. “I felt overwhelmed and scared of the future that lay ahead,” explains Clarissa. “I desperately wanted to connect with other women who were going through the same thing as me and to find answers to my many questions. I looked for a local BRCA group, but there were none. I felt very frustrated, alone and frightened that there seemed to be so little support and I wanted this to change. I decided that once I had come through my own journey, I would write a book with the aim of helping others.”

This deeply personal, incredibly helpful book is the result of that research and of the decisions Clarissa took based on it. Within the context of her own painful experience of family cancer and of elective surgery, Clarissa explains what the BRCA mutation is, what it signifies, what the individual's choices are and what the fall out can be in terms of a woman's body image, identity and sexual functioning. Clarissa opens the book with ‘How it began’, revealing the circumstances that led to the loss of her mum, aged just 48, to ovarian cancer. Medical terms are explained in an accessible manner, and readers are led through the journey, so they can make decisions from a more informed position. This book is also an invaluable resource to friends and family of BRCA carriers and those involved in related medical and healthcare professions.

"Clarissa presents the most thorough overview of a BRCA patient's journey. Her story starts years before she realised she might be a BRCA carrier with her own mother's diagnosis of ovarian cancer and covers the decades from her teens to her 30s. She combines the most personal of stories with detailed facts about all manner of issues, including meeting a genetic counsellor, the surgical options available to BRCA carriers which reduce risk and how the various surgeries have affected her physical, social and psychosexual wellbeing. Whether you have just been diagnosed as being a BRCA carrier, know someone affected or suspect you might be considered high risk, this book offers a wealth of information, interspersed with one lady's incredibly brave journey." -- Niki Petrie, Consultant Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon.

Publicity campaign in the UK to raise awareness about the book and Clarissa Foster's journey led by Literally PR Ltd.