The Basser Center and Central Synagogue presented a panel discussion about BRCA mutations and hereditary cancers on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 6:30 pm in New York, NY. Topics included recent research updates, insurance and discrimination issues, genetic testing, fertility, and more. Panelists included Dr. Susan Domchek, Basser Center Executive Director; Dr. Kenneth Offit, Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Oncologist; Dr. Nicole Schreiber-Agus, Community Genetics Educator; Erika Stallings, Attorney, BRCA Carrier and Patient Advocate; and the panel was moderated by journalist Jill Werman Harris.

Here are some important takeaways about BRCA testing and the BFOR study.

BRCA Testing Save Lives.
BRCA testing can identify women and men who carry a BRCA gene mutation. Those with a BRCA mutation are at increased risk of several cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are ten times as likely to carry a BRCA mutation as the general population. Most carriers do not know they are at risk.

Why Have BRCA Testing?
BRCA testing is a simple blood or saliva test. It provides women and men with potentially life-saving information. Those who carry a BRCA mutation can take steps to reduce their cancer risks.

The BFOR Study Makes BRCA Testing Available.
BFOR is a research project led by experts in cancer genetics to study a new way to make genetic testing accessible. It offers BRCA testing at no cost to individuals age 25 or older, with at least one Ashkenazi Jewish grandparent, and who live in the New York, Philadelphia, Boston, or Los Angeles metropolitan areas.

Learn more at BFORStudy.com. The BFOR study is a not-for-profit research project and has no commercial interests.

Click below to see the complete footage of the panel discussion. If you have any questions, please contact the Basser Center at [email protected].