Our very own Dr. George joined a panel last week to discuss population-based testing for cancer susceptibility genes. The event was organized by Oneinforty and Yodeah. Oneinforty is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of the one-in-forty risk to Ashkenazi Jews of inheriting BRCA mutations and provides the support individuals and families need to effectively manage their cancer risk. Yodeah has a similar mission: to educate and facilitate cost-effective testing for hereditary cancer mutations in the Jewish community.
The webinar that Dr. George participated in on November 12th was primarily focused on the recent changes that have been made to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s guidelines—namely to “consider testing of people with Ashkenazi Jewish heritage if they have one or more Ashkenazi Jewish grandparents, irrespective of family history.” Panelists also discussed other high-risk populations and population-based testing for BRCA and additional cancer susceptibility genes as a way to decrease ovarian cancer burden.
Dr. George spoke about health disparities in the context of breast and ovarian cancer as well as her research involving genetic mutations in the Caribbean, focusing on some of her work in Trinidad, in which the impact of genetic testing/counseling in breast cancer patients was studied.
To watch a recording of the webinar:
The access passcode is: J&+5Uf7A
Recent Comments