VICTIMS OF WALES' DEADLY POSTCODE LOTTERY; A family blighted by cancer... so why must two of these women wait TWO YEARS to find out if they could be the disease's next victims, simply because they live in Wales?Byline: Madeleine Brindley TWO sisters face a two-year wait to learn whether they have a gene responsible for the deadly cancer that has blighted their family. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile Pamela Lewis and Sue Postans, who live in Cardiff, must decide whether they want to undergo drastic surgery to prevent them developing breast and ovarian cancer ovarian cancer Malignant tumour of the ovaries. Risk factors include early age of first menstruation (before age 12), late onset of menopause (after age 52), absence of pregnancy, presence of specific genetic mutations, use of fertility drugs, and personal history of breast . The pair have been offered the massive and potentially risky operations after two of their sisters and two cousins developed breast and ovarian cancer. Younger sister Rae Borriello, 48, who is being treated for breast cancer, has also been told she has a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer. The genetic tests to find the genes which are linked to the diseases and to male cancers, would take just eight weeks in England. Health Minister Edwina Hart Edwina Hart MBE AM, (born 26 April 1957) is a Welsh Labour Party politician who has been a Member of the National Assembly for Wales representing Gower since 1999. She is also Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Health and Social Services since May 2007. has admitted families in Wales face up to a three-year wait for genetic testing Genetic Testing Definition A genetic test examines the genetic information contained inside a person's cells, called DNA, to determine if that person has or will develop a certain disease or could pass a disease to his or her offspring. and the Assembly Government has said it is looking at ways to increase capacity in the Cardiff-based service. Pamela Lewis, 56, from Whitchurch, said: "People take advantage of the fact that they get free prescriptions and yet for something like this there's no funding." And cousin Kay Baker, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a year ago and lives in Culverhouse Cross, said: "It would be so much cheaper for them to take blood samples and do the tests than to treat us all for cancer." Tough dilemma: Pages 4&5 CAPTION(S): Sisters Susan Postans, rear left, and Pamela Lewis, front left, have a high risk of Tanner and Kay Baker, front |
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