Event
BRCA Awareness Event - Learn the Facts about Hereditary Cancer
Join in a panel discussion to understand the risks of hereditary cancer and to learn about genetic testing options. There will be an opportunity after the presentation to take the Color genetic test to screen for the BRCA mutations.
The BRCA1 and BRCA2 are normal genes that all of us have. These genes are part of the bodys normal mechanism to prevent cancers from developing when cells divide. Inherited mutations or abnormalities in either gene, cause them to work improperly, which increases the chance that a person will develop some type of cancer.
Approximately 1 in 40 individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent carry an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, compared to approximately 1 in 345 individuals in the general population. The genetic mutation increases the risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Women with a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have a lifetime risk of between 36 percent and 85 percent of developing breast cancer by age 70. In contrast, the average woman in the United States has about a 12 percent risk of developing breast cancer over a 90-year life span.
Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation have a lifetime risk of 15 to 40 percent for developing ovarian cancer. By comparison, women who do not have a BRCA mutation have a 1.8 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer.
There is also a somewhat increased risk to develop other cancers such as pancreatic and prostate cancer as well as melanoma, depending on which gene is involved. In families with an inherited predisposition, cancers may occur in several family members and at younger ages than usual.
For more information on hereditary cancer:
Force: http://www.facingourrisk.org/index.php
Sharsheret: http://www.sharsheret.org/ (Jewish nonprofit):
Panelists
Allison W. Kurian, M.D., M.Sc.
Allison W. Kurian, M.D., M.Sc. is an Associate Professor of Medicine and of Health Research and Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, trained as a resident in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed her fellowship training in Medical Oncology along with a masters degree in Epidemiology at Stanford University. As Director of the Stanford Womens Cancer Genetics Clinic, her clinical practice centers on women at high risk for developing breast and gynecologic cancers. Dr. Kurians research focuses on the identification of women with elevated breast and gynecologic cancer risk, and on the development and evaluation of novel techniques for early cancer detection and risk reduction. Her research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Komen Foundation, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the California Breast Cancer Research Program, the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Julie Mak:
Julie Mak is a genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics at the University of California San Francisco since 2002. She is a supervisor in the new Hereditary Cancer Clinic at UCSF, which specializes in research and coordinated care for families with inherited genetic risk factors for cancer. With advances in technology in medicine, genetic testing is becoming more widely available. Genetic counselors help individuals and families navigate the medical and personal factors involved with this testing.
Julie received her bachelors degree in biological sciences from Stanford University, where she also completed her master's degree in neuroscience, with a focus on genetics. She received her master's degree in genetic counseling in her hometown at the University of Toronto.
Moderator - Hildy Agustin:
Hildy Agustin studied at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude with an undergraduate degree in psychology. She received her doctorate (Psy.D) in professional psychology from John F. Kennedy University in 2000. She trained at the UCSF AIDS Health Project, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (Spinal Cord Injury, Brain Injury and Burn Units), and in private practice, focusing on neurotoxicological assessment.
Her areas of professional focus include health issues, such as cancer, spinal cord injuries, and head injuries; neuropsychological assessment, particularly dementia evaluations; and working with couples. Dr. Agustin provides neuropsychological assessment and psychotherapy in Menlo Park, California. She also facilitates support groups for women living with ovarian cancer and women who have completed treatment for breast cancer for Bay Area Cancer Connections.
Colors scientific team is a unique interdisciplinary mix of geneticists from UCSF, Stanford, and MIT, and clinical lab experts from from Penn, UCSF, Illumina, Complete Genomics, and Agendia. The Color Test seeks to democratize access to genetic testing and preventative health information. Today, Color is excited to broaden the Color Test to help women and men understand their risk for common hereditary cancers, including BCRA 1 and BRCA 2, which are associated with breast, colorectal, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, stomach and uterine cancers.
In the spirit of removing cost as a barrier to important genetic information, the Color Test for hereditary cancer risk is $249 - 10% of the cost of many comparable tests that normally cost up to thousands of dollars.
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LocationOshman Family JCC (View)
3921 Fabian Way
Palo Alto, CA 94303
United States
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