Clinic eases breast cancer fears for Veteran with family history

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States, and about 1,200 Veterans enrolled in VA care are diagnosed with it each year. The good news is that treatment is far more likely to be effective when paired with early detection.

A cancer screening can bring up a lot of anxiety, especially for those who have a history of cancer in their family. For Army Veteran and nurse administrator Kristie Sudderth, breast cancer screenings became a regular part of her care.

Since Sudderth’s mother and all her maternal relatives had breast cancer, doctors considered her at higher risk. Given her history and experience as a nurse, she was particularly attuned to the importance of regular screenings. Through VA community care, Sudderth received mammograms and breast MRIs every six months to ensure that if she did have breast cancer, her doctors could catch it early, increasing the chance of surviving it.

When Sudderth learned about VA’s newly formed High-Risk Breast Clinic through her VA primary care provider, Dr. Megan Chandler, she was eager to know what else she could do to reduce her risk. These VA virtual clinics connect the Veterans who do not have a current breast cancer diagnosis but are at high risk due to family history or genetic variants with providers who specialize in evaluating and managing patients at higher risk for breast cancer.

Dr. Chandler referred Sudderth to the clinic, where she connected to Sarah Collins, a nurse practitioner, for a virtual consultation.

“Sarah just laid out worst-case, best-case, and everything in between,” said Sudderth. “I did not feel rushed, as if she was waiting for that next appointment after mine. Sarah was completely locked into me and my unique situation. And that’s the thing with the high-risk breast clinic—everybody’s situation is different.”

Collins recommended Sudderth first receive a genetic test through VA. Sudderth had a genetic test done through a private company about five years ago but was unable to retrieve the results since the company closed. She was also concerned about the legitimacy of the test. Collins explained genetic testing has advanced in recent years, allowing providers to test for recently correlated gene mutations.

Later that week, Sudderth received a prepaid genetic test mail-in kit at her home in Washington state. She provided a saliva sample and mailed it back for testing through VA’s National Precision Oncology Program.   

A few weeks later, Sudderth met with Collins again—her results were negative.

With results of the genetic test and a complete assessment, Collins determined Sudderth no longer needed breast exams multiple times a year, but recommended an annual mammogram.

“I bought a lottery ticket that day,” said Sudderth. “It didn’t work, but I won the bigger lotto. I am not a ticking time bomb.”

While a negative result lowers the risk of developing breast cancer compared to someone with a known mutation, it doesn’t eliminate the risk. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer or genetic mutations, talk to your VA provider about scheduling an appointment with VA’s High-Risk Breast Cancer Clinic.

If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who has not yet applied for VA health care benefits, learn how to get started.