Genetic Testing Saves Buffalo Woman From Third Cancer

A genetic test that SallyAnn Decker almost skipped saved her life by catching ovarian cancer before she even knew it was there.

The Buffalo woman had already beaten breast cancer twice when her physician assistant at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center suggested genetic testing in 2022. SallyAnn didn't even know what it meant, but she said yes anyway.

That decision changed everything. The test revealed she carried a BRCA1 gene mutation, putting her at dramatically higher risk for several cancers including ovarian cancer, which is rarely caught early enough for optimal treatment.

After learning about her risk, SallyAnn chose to have a preventive hysterectomy. Within three weeks, she was scheduled for surgery.

The biopsy results shocked everyone. Cancer was already growing in her fallopian tubes, completely silent and symptomless. "If I would not have taken that out, who knows if they would have found that cancer," she says.

The stage one diagnosis meant SallyAnn could fight back early. She completed six rounds of chemotherapy in October 2025 and remains in remission under close monitoring by her care team.

Everyone has two BRCA genes that normally prevent tumors by repairing damaged DNA. When these genes mutate, they can't do their job, significantly raising cancer risk for breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and other cancers in both men and women.

The Ripple Effect

SallyAnn isn't keeping her survival story to herself. She's become an advocate for genetic testing, especially among her large extended family.

Her youngest son is awaiting his test results. Her niece Stacy tested positive for the same BRCA1 mutation and now gets enhanced screening with annual MRIs in addition to mammograms.

The family connection runs deep. SallyAnn lost a sister to cancer at age 32, leaving behind three children. Stacy is that sister's daughter, likely inheriting the gene mutation from her mother.

"If you have cancer in your family you should definitely go for genetic testing, because I wouldn't be here without it," SallyAnn says. Her message is simple: "Go for it!"

Some family members remain hesitant to find out their genetic status. But slowly, minds are changing. One relative recently made an appointment with a Roswell Park genetic counselor, and two uncles are considering it.

Stacy understands the fear but sees the value now. "We didn't know what being tested would do for us," she says. "But I learned that I can get earlier screening."

For children of parents with inherited gene mutations, the odds are fifty-fifty they'll carry the same mutation. That knowledge becomes power when it leads to prevention, early detection, and lives saved.

SallyAnn's three grown sons, four grandchildren, and extended family now have information that could save their lives, all because one woman said yes to a test she barely understood.