She took drastic steps to cut cancer risk

  • By Andrea Brown, Special to The Herald
  • Friday, March 16, 2012 3:30pm
  • LifeSnohomish

Some genes are a blessing. Some are a loaded gun.

Meghann Johnson was surprised when she found unrelenting cancer in her genealogy. And what she did next might surprise you.

At age 31, healthy and cancer-free, she had both of her breasts removed — plus her ovaries.

“I would do it again,” she said.

Her mother had undergone a mastectomy because of breast cancer, so Johnson knew what to expect when she had her own surgery last year.

But that’s where the similarities end: Genetic testing revealed that her cancer predisposition was not her mother’s cancer.

Johnson, it turned out, inherited the bad gene from her father, who died of cancer at age 45. His mother died early from breast cancer, as did an aunt.

Johnson didn’t consider a double mastectomy and hysterectomy paranoid; rather, it was proactive.

Joy Varady, genetic counselor at Providence Regional Medical Center, calls her a cancer “presurvivor.”

Though Johnson didn’t have cancer, she was at high risk based on “family pedigree,” Varady said.

The majority of inherited breast cancers in both men and women are caused by defective BRCA (BReast CAncer) 1 and 2 genes. If a woman carries mutations she also has a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Males have a slightly increased risk of pancreatic and prostate cancer.

“My risk factor was 87 percent for breast cancer and ovarian was 54 percent,” Johnson said.

“Now, it’s less than 5 percent.”

That, she said, was worth undergoing four major surgeries even with no sign of cancer.

“It was actually a relief to me,” Johnson said. “I felt like I could do something about it.”

She recalls when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, six years after her dad died.

“It was scary, because I had already lost one parent,” Johnson said. “I was faced with a lot of what-ifs.”

Still, she was unaware of her cancer risk until last year when her brother’s wife started researching her dad’s family tree for fun, and along the way unraveled the lineage of early onset cancer deaths.

That prompted Johnson to seek genetic testing. Her mom was subsequently tested and found to not carry the abnormal gene. Overall, most cases of breast cancer are not genetic.

Varady said some people at risk opt not to get the blood test, which is done by a simple blood draw. Those with the harmful gene have options other than preventive surgery.

“It’s a personal decision,” Varady said.

Johnson wasn’t taking any chances.

“Being married and having two kids (ages 6 and 11) put me in a position to make those decisions easier,” she said.

Still, it took juggling a busy schedule. She lives in Snohomish, takes dental hygienist classes in Everett and works as a dental assistant in Monroe. She keeps an athletic regimen of indoor soccer, exercise and family ski trips.

After the mastectomy, she had two surgeries to reconstruct her breasts and nipples.

“In my clothes, you would never know,” she said.

Yes, she got to choose her new bra size and, no, she didn’t go Dolly Parton.

“I chose a size proportionately physically,” she said. “I didn’t want them to get in my way of sports. I didn’t want to draw anymore attention than needed.

She does receive some, well, requests for showings.

“It’s a work of art,” she said. “And it’s somebody else’s. Modesty goes right out the window.”

Johnson said her son and daughter have a 50 percent chance of having the gene and passing it on to their kids. Her children can’t get tested until they turn 18, if they choose.

For now, she’s focusing on toting them around and taking them skiing.

“Who knows where we’ll be at that time toward a cure,” she said.

What are the odds?

• Out of 100 average women, about 12 will get breast cancer sometime during their lives.

• Out of 100 women who have one relative with breast cancer, about 24 will get breast cancer.

• Out of 100 women who have two relatives with breast cancer, about 36 will get breast cancer.

• Out of 100 women who have inherited a breast cancer gene, between 35 and 84 will get breast cancer. Women with the inherited gene also have an increased risk of developing ovarian, colon, pancreatic and thyroid cancers as well as melanoma.

Source: Providence Regional Cancer Partnership

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

Rodney Ho / Atlanta Journal-Constitution / Tribune News Service
The Barenaked Ladies play Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville on Friday.
Coming events in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The Mukilteo Boulevard Homer on Monday, May 12, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Homer Hedge’: A Simpsons meme takes root in Everett — D’oh!

Homer has been lurking in the bushes on West Mukilteo Boulevard since 2023. Stop by for a selfie.

Sarah and Cole Rinehardt, owners of In The Shadow Brewing, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 in Arlington, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In The Shadow Brewing: From backyard brews to downtown cheers

Everything seems to have fallen into place at the new taproom location in downtown Arlington

Bar manager Faith Britton pours a beer for a customer at the Madison Avenue Pub in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burgers, brews and blues: Madison Avenue Pub has it all

Enjoy half-price burgers on Tuesday, prime rib specials and live music at the Everett mainstay.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.