Published: 9 October 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
SARAH CHARAK WAS 23 when she found out that, most likely, over the next 20 years everything that "made me a woman" would have to be surgically removed.
Her breasts and ovaries were "tainted in some way" and put her at risk.
Sarah has up to a 70 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and up to 40 per cent chance of ovarian cancer, due to a BRCA gene fault — the genetic condition made famous by Angelina Jolie.
"I definitely have had moments of anger about it. It's inconvenient. It's upsetting. The thought of the surgeries is scary," Sarah says.
For the general population, the risk of inheriting a BRCA gene fault is around one in 400.
Ashkenazi Jews, like Sarah, are 10 times more likely to inherit the fault, meaning their risk of cancer is much higher.
Marrying within the community over generations has led to genetic issues like the BRCA gene mutation and diseases like Tay-Sachs and cystic fibrosis, among others.
It means making difficult decisions about surgery, screening and how far to go to prevent passing the gene fault on to the next generation.
FULL STORY Ashkenazi Jews face a higher cancer risk because of the BRCA gene (ABC)
Photo: Sarah Charak is still deciding how she will manage her personal risk for breast and ovarian cancer (Alice Moldovan)
