I Have BRCA1 or BRCA2. What Should I Do?
If you carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, you may be at an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers — but it’s important to understand that cancer genetics are complex and other factors...
View ArticleWhat is Genomic Testing in Cancer?
Genomic testing, a newer field to genetics, refers to the process of observing an entire genome (genes that make up an organism) of an organism; for example, the human body. A person has about 25,000...
View ArticleLiving with Lynch Syndrome: One Woman’s Story
Kerry Evers was always concerned that, due to a family history of the disease, cancer could be in her future. Her grandmother, father, uncle, and several of her cousins had been treated for different...
View ArticleWhat is CHEK2?
CHEK2 is the abbreviated name of the gene called checkpoint kinase 2. The gene provides cells with instructions for making the protein CHK2, which becomes active when DNA within the cell is damaged or...
View ArticleLiving with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome is Using Knowledge as Power
Breast cancer survivor Jennifer Perry is at high risk of additional cancers during her lifetime because she carries an inherited mutation for Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS). But experts at the new...
View ArticleDoes Having Cancer Once Increase the Risk of Developing Other Cancers?
While the vast majority of people diagnosed with cancer do not develop a different malignancy later in life, it’s important for survivors to be aware of factors that can put them at risk. People who...
View ArticleShould I Be Screened for Pancreatic Cancer?
While screening for pancreatic cancer is not recommended for people at average risk of the disease, screening is recommended for those who carry an inherited genetic mutation associated with pancreatic...
View ArticleBreaking the Binary: Building Transvisibility in Cancer Genetic Counseling
This article was written by Donna Vatnick, BS, clinical research coordinator in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention. Historically, cancer risk has been confined to...
View ArticleStill Smiling After Four Cancers and Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Martha Pena has endured breast cancer twice (once in each breast), lung cancer that metastasized to her brain, and stomach (gastric) cancer — all by age 40. Now 42, she is receiving ongoing treatment...
View ArticleWhen Inherited Condition Leads to Two Cancers, Young Survivor Finds Hope at...
As one of three family members with the same first and last name, John E. Duggan found individuality through initials while growing up — becoming universally known as “Jed.” Having survived both stage...
View ArticlePeople with Lynch Syndrome Should Take Aspirin to Reduce Colorectal Cancer...
Patients with Lynch syndrome, who have an elevated risk of colorectal cancer, can reduce their risk by taking daily aspirin — and the protective effect persists for many years, according to the latest...
View ArticleDana-Farber Patient Benefits From ‘Growing Toolbox of Treatments’
When Dana-Farber launched its new Center for BRCA and Related Genes in August 2020, it was with patients like Janice Dolnick in mind. Dolnick’s cancer journey had already been a long one before she...
View ArticleBRCA Testing: What You Need to Know
What is the BRCA gene? BRCA1 and BRCA2 play a big role in preventing cancer. They belong to a class of genes called tumor suppressors, which ensure that breast, ovarian, and other types of cells don’t...
View ArticlePALB2 Breast Cancer Gene: What You Should Know
A relatively small proportion of breast cancers are caused by alterations in inherited genes that sharply increase the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. One of these genes has recently been...
View ArticleDirector of the Lynch Syndrome Center Shares his Personal Connection to Lynch...
Because of his adopted family’s cancer history, the director of Dana-Farber’s Lynch Syndrome Center, Matt Yurgelun, MD, is uniquely invested in helping patients with Lynch syndrome — a common and often...
View ArticleAdvances in Myeloma, Breast Cancer, and Clinical Trials Equity: A Dana-Farber...
Results of several phase 3 trials and dozens of other studies led by Dana-Farber researchers were presented online and in person June 3-7 at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical...
View ArticleAcquired vs. Inherited Mutations in Cancer: What You Need to Know
A gene mutation is a change in the genetic instructions in a cell. Genes are the DNA-encoded instructions for building proteins, which are the machinery that does the work inside our cells and our...
View ArticleWhat’s the Connection Between BRCA and Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry?
People who inherit mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at heightened risk for a variety of cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic. It’s estimated that one in 300-400 people...
View ArticleYoung Mother with Lynch Syndrome Doing Well on Immunotherapy
For a while, Stephanie Dobson attributed her gastrointestinal issues to her pregnancy. It was her second, a girl born in May 2023, a baby sister to her son. But when the symptoms persisted for the...
View ArticleWhat’s the Latest Research in Lynch Syndrome?
Lynch syndrome is an inherited condition that increases an individual’s risk for certain types of cancer. It’s caused by a mutation in any of five specific genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM....
View Article