Staff member shares battle against cancer gene

Kristina Wieghmink said no to cancer before it had the chance to say yes to her.

Wieghmink, an anthropology lab staff member, shared her personal journey of deciding to undergo a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy after learning that she carried a hereditary cancer gene that drastically increased her chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer. 

Wieghmink and Sarah Svendsen, a genetic counselor at Spectrum Genetic Center, presented information on genetic testing during a brown bag lunch on October 15.

With strong support and encouragement from her family, Wieghmink, a mother to five children, underwent the procedures decreasing her risk of breast cancer from 85 percent to 2 percent, and ovarian cancer from 45 percent to 3 percent.

“I knew I couldn’t go back to the person I was; you have to adapt and roll with things in life, and to be able to handle things physically and emotionally,” said Wieghmink.

Svendsen shared the pros and cons of genetic testing, and how analyzing family history of cancer is vital to see possible hereditary cancer genes. She said finding correlations by looking at cancer over generations could direct an individual to genetic testing, leading to early detection and prevention strategies.

The presentation, part of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, was sponsored by the Women’s Center, Colleges Against Cancer and Work Life Connections.