Genetic link to certain cancers topic of panel discussion

The Center for Jewish Genetics, in conjunction with the Basser Center for BRCA, will host one of the nation’s leading authorities on breast cancer and a panel of experts discussing “What’s Jewish about BRCA?” on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. A reception begins at 6 p.m.; followed by the program at 7 p.m. Cost is $18 per person.

“BRCA refers to hereditary mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that significantly increase the risk of breast cancer both in women and in men,” said Jason Rothstein, director of the Center for Jewish Genetics.

“While everyone faces a risk of cancer, Jewish men and women with an Ashkenazi background are 10 times more likely to have a BRCA mutation than the general population,” he said. “The connection between the mutation and breast cancer is widely known, but individuals with BRCA mutations also face an increased risk of ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and melanoma.”

Panelists at the Oct. 14 event – all experts in fields ranging from medical oncology, surgery and gynecological oncology to genetics and advocacy – will discuss a variety of topics, including strategies for identification of high-risk individuals and families, and options for intervention.

The evening’s keynote speaker, Susan M. Domchek, MD, is a nationally recognized expert in breast and ovarian cancer genetics; hereditary cancer risk and prevention; and breast cancer treatment. She is Executive Director, Basser Center for BRCA in Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center; Director, MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center; and the Basser Professor of Oncology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on understanding breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, and how to target such genetic mutations for improved cancer treatment. Domchek has been recognized as one of the Best Doctors in America by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and as a “Top Doc” in Philadelphia Magazine.

Expert panelists include Taya J. Fallen, CGC, Northwestern University; Melissa K. Rosen, MA, Director of National Outreach, Sharsheret; Catherine E. Pesce, MD, breast oncology specialist at NorthShore University Health System; and S. Diane Yamada, MD, Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Chief, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, at University of Chicago.

Bonnie Miller Rubin, Chicago Tribune Health and Family reporter, will moderate the event.

For information or to register, visit www.jewishgenetics.org/EventBRCA, or call 312-357-4994.

The Center for Jewish Genetics, an educational resource for hereditary cancers and Jewish genetic disorders, is a cooperative effort of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and is supported in part by the Michael Reese Health Trust.

MEET THE PANELISTS:

Keynote speaker Susan Domchek, MD is the Basser Professor in Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, Executive Director of the Basser Center for BRCA, Director of the MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center at the Abramson Cancer Center, and a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. She has authored/coauthored more than 100 articles appearing in scholarly journals, serves on a number of editorial review boards, and is a member of the Komen for the Cure Scientific Advisory Council and several committees for the American Society for Clinical Oncology. Domchek is committed to pursuing novel research in clinical applications of genetic susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer, particularly with regard to risk assessment, screening, prevention and treatment.

Taya J. Fallen, CGC, provides cancer genetic counseling in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Reproductive Genetics at Feinberg School of Medicine Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University. She works with the Graduate Program of Genetic Counseling, supervising graduate students in clinical rotations, co-moderating Medical Communication and teaching in the Adult Genetics curriculum.

Fallen graduated from the Graduate Program of Genetic Counseling at Northwestern University in 2001, and was certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling in 2002. She worked at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, from 2001 to 2002, providing prenatal, adult and cancer genetic counseling. She started the Cancer Genetics Program with the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in 2002, and provided cancer risk assessment for the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology.

Melissa K. Rosen, MA, Director of National Outreach, oversees Sharsheret’s outreach efforts across the United States, connecting women, families, and communities to Sharsheret’s cancer support and education programs. As a breast cancer survivor, Rosen is passionate about community cancer support and advocacy. Rosen received her master’s degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University and has been working in the non-profit sector for over 25 years.

Catherine E. Pesce, MD, a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer and breast surgery, is a Chief Assistant Professor with NorthShore University HealthSystem. She received her medical degree from Rush University Medical College in 2005, completed her internship and residency at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and was a fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

S. Diane Yamada, MD, the Joseph Bolivar DeLee Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Chief, Section of Gynecologic Oncology at University of Chicago Medicine, specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of gynecologic cancers. She is the principal investigator at the University of Chicago for the Gynecologic Oncology Group, a cooperative clinical trials group supported by the National Cancer Institute. She conducts clinical trials targeting ovarian cancer, endometrial and cervical cancer.

Yamada received her medical degree from University of California Los Angeles Medical School, completed her internship and residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and was a fellow at University of California-Irvine. She started her practice in 1999. She is an editorial reviewer for a number of academic medical journals, and is also the author or co-author of numerous book chapters and reviews concerning gynecologic cancers.

Bonnie Miller Rubin, moderator, is a Chicago Tribune reporter specializing in health and family issues. She has been working in daily journalism for more than 35 years, including stints at the Gary Post Tribune and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She joined the Chicago Tribune in 1990 and was part of a team that won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism. She has written magazine pieces for Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal and has authored several books, including “Fifty on Fifty,” a look at women’s lives at the half-century mark.