Nasty trolls tell me I should ‘cover up’ after cancer scare – but I love flaunting my chest
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A YOUNG woman is being harassed by trolls for deciding to celebrate her unique looking chest.
Stephanie Germino, now 29, has known since she was 15 that her risk of breast cancer was extremely high.
Since her breast removal in October 2021, the mum set up accounts on and TikTok to document her journey.
Known as the to her followers, Stephanie is trying to raise awareness of the BRCA gene.
Nasty trolls comment on her posts telling her to "put a shirt on" - and others assume she's transgender.
Read more on breast cancer
She said: "My surgeon warned me I would regret my decision - but told them I wanted to be 'as flat as a pre-pubescent boy' and I don't regret it at all!
"When people see my chest on TikTok, lots assume I am transitioning, which I'm not.
"Others say they feel sorry for my partner or tell me no man will want me.
"The most original one is people telling me to 'put a shirt on' - I just say 'no thanks, I'd rather not'."
"People can say whatever they want though - I am confident in my decision so I don't care!"
The mum decided to have her double-D boobs removed to prevent the cancer from ever having the chance to develop.
This was after she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene - a mutation which increases the risk of breast cancer.
"I wasn't going to wait until something actually happened to me before doing something about it.
And in the UK, there are over 50,000 cases of the disease each year, says.
Nearly 1,000 people die from breast cancer every month in the UK, with the disease killing around 11,500 women and 80 men each year.
What is the BRCA gene?
IT'S been dubbed the 'Angelina Jolie gene', after the Hollywood actress had preventative surgery to reduce her risk of cancer. But what is the BRCA, and how can Brits get tested? Here's what you need to know...
All of us have BRCA genes, and we inherit two copies - one from each of our parents.
They are called tumour suppressors, because their job is to repair damaged cells and prevent them from growing and dividing too rapidly.
Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can cause cells to become abnormal, and grow in an uncontrolled way
How does BRCA testing work?
Doctors test for BRCA gene mutations using a blood test, which is then analysed in the genetics lab.
Tests should be offered to patients whose risk of being a carrier is 10 per cent or more, according to NHS England guidelines.
If you have a personal or family history or ovarian and/or breast cancer, you may be offered a test.
But a leading cancer research institute is calling for all women over the age of 30 to be tested for the faulty gene.
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Researchers at Barts Cancer Institute found that nationwide testing could prevent up to 64,000 cases of breast cancer and 17,000 cases of ovarian cancer in the UK alone.
Dr Ranjit Manchanda, a consultant gynaecological oncologist at Barts Cancer Institute, that this would save the NHS money in the long-run, as well as saving lives.