New Breast Cancer Study Memorial Cancer Institute Focuses on Genetic Link to Breast Cancer Risk
Disease-Specific Cancer Programs
In an effort to provide the highest level of individualized care, Memorial Cancer Institute offers disease-specific programs for breast, gastrointestinal, lung and hematological (blood-borne) cancers.
These programs offer many benefits to patients, including:
- The opportunity to obtain the medical opinions of several cancer specialists through its Tumor Board of experts
- A multidisciplinary approach to the patient’s diagnosis and treatment program
- Access to some of the latest treatment options available, including participation in research studies of promising new therapies
- Focused research on the causes of certain types of cancer
Located on the campus of Memorial Regional Hospital, Memorial Breast Cancer Center is one of only a few freestanding facilities in the nation dedicated exclusively to breast cancer. Co-directed by two medical oncologists who specialize in breast cancer, the Center offers a wide range of medical and support services in a serene and private setting.
To learn more about Memorial Breast Cancer Center, please call
(954) 265-6990.
July 2006 — Mutations of two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2 (Breast Cancer Genes 1 and 2), are responsible for approximately 10 percent of all breast cancer cases. However, not everyone who carries such a gene mutation develops cancer, and it is not yet understood why. By studying these genes, researchers hope to identify women at greater risk for developing breast cancer. Memorial Cancer Institute, a facility of Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West, has joined a national study to investigate these hereditary factors and how they may influence the occurrence of breast cancer. The “Genetic Modifiers of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (GEMS) Study,” made possible through a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from the National Cancer Institute, is investigating genetic and environmental factors that may influence the risk of breast cancer among women with and without BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. Women with these gene mutations typically have a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer over multiple generations, often at a young age or involving both breasts. The research will examine how other genes might interact with BRCA1 and BRCA2 to affect breast cancer risk.
“We do not understand why some women in these affected families develop breast cancer at age 35, some at 55, while others develop ovarian or pancreatic cancer,” says Elisabeth McKeen, MD, oncologist with special training in cancer genetics on the medical staff at Memorial Regional Hospital and Memorial Hospital West. “This study should help us unravel these mysteries.”
The primary goal of this study is to identify factors that influence the incidence of breast cancer in women who have mutations in their genes and their relatives who may be at high risk for genetically influenced breast cancer so they and their physicians can more closely track potential symptoms and warning signs.
Memorial Cancer Institute joins other major healthcare centers in this significant collaborative study. A leading-edge facility for cancer diagnosis and treatment, Memorial Cancer Institute is one of a few facilities in the nation with an oncologist geneticist on staff.
“Genetics has an incredible impact on an individual’s risk for certain diseases,” says Maxine Chang, MSN, ARNP, OCN, cancer risk assessment counselor on the staff at Memorial Cancer Institute. “The more information we have about the genetic factors that might influence some cancers, the more we can do to help in the prevention, early detection and treatment of those cancers.”
Eligible Participants
Women who have been tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and diagnosed with breast cancer within the last 36 months will be offered the opportunity to participate in this important study. Eligible participants will be positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and will need to provide a blood sample, along with other study data. These data will provide researchers with the information they need to more closely pinpoint the genetic and environmental factors that may cause or impact breast cancer incidence. Ultimately, it is hoped that this information, combined with prevention and early detection measures, will provide an improved means of estimating cancer risk in women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.
Moving Forward with Genetics
Memorial Cancer Institute’s interest in genetically driven disease is not limited to breast cancer research. With a focus on the nature of hereditary influences on other cancers, additional work is currently being done to study genetic factors that may contribute to gastrointestinal cancers.
For more information about Memorial Cancer Institute, please call
(954) 265-3443. For referral to a physician, please call Memorial Physician Referral Service toll-free at (800) 944-DOCS. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.