Is it too soon to have my daughter checked? She is almost 12.

This question came to me from a new friend I recently met on Twitter whose young sister is battling breast cancer. This is what she writes in her profile:


My sister has Stage 3 Breast Cancer. Today all of her hair came off. So depressing. She has NO Insurance.


Considering that just last year there was a major news story about a 10 year old girl with breast cancer, my friend's question is not far-fetched. Although her daughter's risk of having breast cancer at 11 is almost nil, her worry is understandable.


Most of us react with a mixture of sympathy and horror, reassuring ourselves that such a thing could never happen to our daughter. And statistically the vast majority of us would be correct. We can shake our heads and sigh, “Those poor people". . . key word "those".


But when your sister loses not just her hair but her baby because of breast cancer, you start to look at your 11 year old baby girl with new worry.


For all I have gained because of breast cancer I have truly embraced it as a gift. Honest.
But I would never wish it on my worst enemy, and certainly not on this dear sister.

PS, yes 12 is too young to start checking.
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