brac II positive and under 40

hi
my grandmother on mom's side had ovarian cancer, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 56, i was tested for brac and came back positive for bracII. i was told that at 40 i had to get rid of my ovaries, etc and my breast. what are my options?

[Jordanna Joaquina, MS, CGC]

We hope that you are getting the support and care you need. Given your diagnosis of a BRCA2 mutation, we strongly recommend that you meet with a cancer genetic counselor, who specializes in hereditary cancer syndromes, can review and explain your genetic testing results in context of your personal and family history, as well as all of your preventative options.  

You can find a cancer genetic counselor at the National Society of Genetic Counselors website or through companies like mine, AccessDNA.

For more information on ovarian cancer and BRCA mutations, you can also visit AccessDNA.