This is a specialized program offering a multidisciplinary, personalized approach to cancer risk assessment, prevention, and screening for women who have a high risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
Women who may be at high risk include those who:
- Have a strong family history (two or more relatives on the same side of the family with breast or ovarian cancer, especially if the breast cancer was diagnosed before the age of 50 or if there are male relatives with cancer), OR
- Have had an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic test, OR
- Have had a biopsy showing atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).
Patients meet with a team of breast and ovary experts, including a medical oncologist, genetic counselor, breast surgeon, and gynecologic oncologist. This team helps develop a comprehensive, personalized program to try to prevent cancer from occurring and increase the likelihood of detecting cancer early, if it should occur. Components of this plan may include chemo-prevention (taking medicine to prevent cancer), screening by physical exam and imaging (mammography, ultrasound, or MRI), risk-reducing surgery, and other new technologies or developments.
Interested patients may receive contact information for any research studies for which they are eligible.
Patients also receive information about heredity and non-hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk factors and strategies for risk reduction. Services include:
- Comprehensive review of patient and family risk factors for developing breast or ovarian cancer
- Clinical breast exams
- Breast self-examination instruction
- Review of past mammograms
- Review of multiple ways to lower breast and ovarian cancer risk and development of a personalized cancer prevention plan
- Connecting women with research studies of cancer screening or prevention for which they are eligible.
Providers:
- Robin Bennett, M.S., genetic counselor
- Julie Gralow, M.D., medical oncologist
- Irana Hawkins, R.D., M.S., C.D., nutritionist
- Elizabeth Swisher, M.D., gynecological oncologist
- Sara Michelson, M.S., genetic counselor.