Bellmore woman looks to stop breast cancer trend in family

A young woman from Bellmore is doing what she can to try and stop a trend of breast cancer in her family.
Breast cancer has run in Taylor Basile’s family for five generations. Basile also tested positive for the BRCA 1 gene, which meant she had a significantly increased risk of breast cancer herself.
The 24-year-old opted for a preventative double mastectomy, which would significantly lower her risk of ever getting breast cancer. She says the decision was a no-brainer.
“I'm very much a person who likes to be in control, so I think it was more of I want to tackle it before it became a reality for my life.  And seeing my mom go through it and my grandmother before her -  it was just something I never wanted to experience,” she says.
Genetic testing for the BRCA gene ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Insurance typically only covers the testing if the patient is considered high risk or meets specific criteria.