What happened, in summary

Krista Brown’s breast cancer story began with her mother’s diagnosis. Her mother had Stage III breast cancer, initially tested negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2, and later learned she carried a pathogenic ATM mutation. After her mother shared that result, Krista had genetic testing and learned she carried the same ATM mutation, giving her a high inherited risk for breast cancer and smaller increased risks for pancreatic and ovarian cancer.

Krista began alternating mammograms and breast MRIs every 6 months while also considering preventive surgery. A mammogram was normal, but MRI showed an abnormality. Ultrasound and diagnostic mammogram were reassuring, and 3 specialists told her it did not look like cancer. Because the finding could affect her planned surgery, Krista requested a biopsy. Two weeks before her preventive surgery, the biopsy showed breast cancer.

On January 30, 2024, she had a double mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction, followed by a second surgery in April. She was able to avoid chemotherapy: her Oncotype DX score was 1 out of 100, and recurrence risk was considered very low. Her cancer was hormone receptor-positive and HER2-negative, so tamoxifen was recommended for 5 years. As of August 2024, she was about 3 months into tamoxifen with manageable side effects and continued to advocate for genetic testing and informed reconstruction choices.