Hereditary Cancer & Genetics: Related News

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Pictured: Kenneth Offit
Gene Mutation Linked to Inherited Risk of Common Form of Childhood Leukemia

Researchers have found the first evidence that susceptibility to developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia during childhood may be heritable.

September 9, 2013
Charles Sawyers, Kenneth Offit, and Larry Norton
Three Memorial-Sloan Kettering Researchers Receive Special Awards by the American Society of Clinical Oncology

Charles Sawyers, Larry Norton, and Kenneth Offit are being honored with special awards at the annual meeting of the world’s leading professional organization for cancer physicians and researchers.

May 22, 2013
Pictured: Megan Harlan Fleischut & Kenneth Offit
Understanding Your Risk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Clinical Genetics Service Chief Kenneth Offit discusses ways for women to clearly assess their risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

May 16, 2013
Pictured: Megan Harlan Fleischut & Kenneth Offit
Genetic Counseling and Genetic Screening for Cancer

Genetic counselor Megan Harlan Fleischut discusses hereditary cancers and the services offered by Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s clinical genetics experts.

April 15, 2013
Pictured: Kenneth Offit
New Findings May Lead to Better Predictions of Breast Cancer Risk in Women with Inherited Mutations

A study identifies genetic variations that alter the risk of breast cancer in women who have a certain gene mutation.

March 28, 2013
Pictured: Kenneth Offit & Zsofia Stadler
Researchers Find Early-Onset Testicular Cancer May Occur from Spontaneous Genetic Mutations

Memorial Sloan-Kettering investigators have found that some testicular cancers arising early in life may result from genetic changes that have not been inherited from either parent.

August 17, 2012
Inherited Mutations May Point to an Aggressive Form of Prostate Cancer

A team of Memorial Sloan-Kettering researchers reports that prostate cancer often takes an aggressive course in patients who have inherited mutations in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2.

July 1, 2010
Genetic Information Becomes a Vital Part of Clinical Practice

At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, as the genetics revolution continues to flourish, discoveries made in the laboratory are increasingly producing real-world benefits for cancer patients.

October 1, 2008
Genetic Counselor Megan Harlan
Genetic Counselors Help Patients Negotiate Difficult Path

Memorial Sloan-Kettering’s Clinical Genetics Service has a staff of genetic counselors who offer information and education about genetic risk factors for families who have chosen to be tested.

October 1, 2008

Related Media Coverage

After Patent Ruling, Availability of Gene Tests Could Broaden

Clinical Genetics Service Chief Kenneth Offit commented on the Supreme Court ruling that human genes cannot be patented.

The New York Times
June 14, 2013
Breast Cancer Genes May Explain Poor Outcomes for Black Women

Medical oncologist Andrew Seidman commented on a study that found that one in five black women with breast cancer were found to have inherited mutations on at least one of 18 genes linked to the disease.

Bloomberg
June 3, 2013
Preventing Breast Cancer

Deputy Physician-in-Chief for Breast Cancer Programs Larry Norton spoke about hereditary breast cancer following Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she underwent a prophylactic mastectomy after learning she carries the BRCA gene mutation, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports
May 17, 2013
Dr. Monica Morrow Explains BRCA1 Gene Mutations and Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Breast cancer surgeon Monica Morrow spoke about preventive treatment options for women with a BRCA gene mutation, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

CNN’s Starting Point
May 15, 2013
Angelina Jolie's Double Mastectomy Reflects Improvements in Breast Reconstruction Options

Reconstructive surgeon Colleen McCarthy spoke about improvements in breast reconstruction following Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she underwent a prophylactic mastectomy after learning she carries the BRCA gene mutation, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

New York Daily News
May 14, 2013
Angelina Jolie's Double Mastectomy: It's Not the Only Option

Clinical Genetics Service Chief Kenneth Offit spoke about genetic testing and the increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer for women with BRCA gene mutations.

TIME
May 14, 2013
Angelina Jolie's 'Nipple Delay' Procedure, Explained

Breast cancer surgeon Deborah Capko explained the kind of prophylactic breast surgery Angelina Jolie received after learning she carries the BRCA gene mutation, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

New York Magazine
May 14, 2013
Cancer Advocates Praise Angelina Jolie's New York Times Mastectomy Op-Ed

Breast cancer surgeon Alexandra Heerdt commended Angelina Jolie for sparking a conversation about hereditary breast cancer after learning she carries the BRCA gene mutation, which increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

US News & World Report
May 14, 2013
A Gut Check for Bad Genes

Surgical oncologist Sam Yoon spoke about a rare genetic mutation that increases the likelihood of developing gastric cancer and the prophylactic surgery some patients are opting to receive to reduce their chances of developing the disease.

WNYC-FM
December 23, 2012
Genetic Variants May Affect the Risk of Breast Cancer in Women with BRCA2 Mutations

An international study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has identified genetic variants in women with BRCA2 mutations that may increase or decrease their risk of developing breast cancer.

October 28, 2010
At Home Genomic Tests for Disease Risk Premature

The recent marketing of “at home” genomic tests for disease risk may be premature, according to Dr. Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH, Chief of the Clinical Genetics Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

March 18, 2008
Researchers Identify New Genetic Marker for Breast Cancer

An international group of investigators led by scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute has identified a new genetic marker of risk for breast cancer. Women with this DNA variation are at a 1.4 times greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to those without the variation.

March 3, 2008
Noah D. Kauff
Benefit of Cancer Prevention Surgery Differs Between Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations

The surgical removal of the ovaries has been widely adopted as a cancer-risk-reducing strategy for women with either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. A new multicenter study led by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the first prospective examination of the impact of this procedure in which BRCA2 mutation carriers were analyzed separately from BRCA1 mutation carriers.

February 11, 2008
Breast Cancer Risk Varies Substantially Among Women Who Are Carriers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Gene Mutations

Breast cancer risk varies widely among women who are carriers of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, according to a new study published in the January 9, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

January 8, 2008
Cancer-Reducing Benefits of Preventive Surgery May Be Specific to Gene Mutation

ATLANTA, June 5, 2006 - A new multicenter study is the first to suggest that the prophylactic removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes may provide a different benefit for women who carry a genetic mutation in the BRCA2 gene than for those who have a BRCA1 genetic mutation. The results of the study, which are being presented today at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting, also provide the strongest evidence to date that this surgery significantly reduces the overall risk of BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancers.

June 5, 2006

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