Courtney Hall, director, measurement at ONEOK in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tested positive for the BRCA 2 gene in 2016 and was diagnosed with breast cancer two years later. The BRCA gene, when mutated, is found to impact a person’s chances of developing specific forms of cancer. After her mother was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer, she and her sister got tested for the BRCA gene. She tested positive for the BRCA 2 gene, increasing her chances of developing certain cancers to almost 70-90%. She was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of breast cancer, triple negative. In August 2018, she had a double mastectomy and underwent chemo treatments and an additional preventative surgery. She now is free of cancer, and on February 28, 2019 she was able to ring the celebration bell after her final treatment.
Courtney’s mission is to share how she navigated the process of a difficult medical diagnosis and treatments through early detection due to genetic testing. “Knowledge is power.” Get genetic testing and have an open dialogue with your doctor about your health risks and options. It may save your life.
