1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish individuals carries a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, two genes that dramatically increase risk for developing breast, ovarian, and other cancers. Additionally, it is estimated that nearly 1 in 3 Jewish individuals is a carrier of at least one of the known Jewish genetic disorders such as Tay-Sachs or Cystic Fibrosis, often with no family history of these conditions. Risks specific to the Ashkenazi Jewish population and the various options that are available for screening, risk reduction, and prevention will be discussed. We will review the most recent biomedical advances in genetics and the ways this progress has influenced how we counsel and test patients.
Genetic counselors Stacy Utay and Annette Patterson will review Jewish prenatal carrier screening and discuss current testing options for hereditary cancer. Dr. Theodora Ross, Director of the Cancer Genetics Program at UT Southwestern and author of A CANCER IN THE FAMILY: Take Control of Your Genetic Inheritance will talk about her own experience as a carrier of a BRCA1 mutation (BRCA1 5382insC, common in the Ashkenazi Jewish population). She will use her story to illustrate how denial impedes being fully informed about inherited cancer syndromes. She hopes to convince you that knowledge of your genetic inheritance gives you choices; choices that can improve and save your life.
