Hereditary Cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People considering testing for an inherited gene mutation
Article: Insurance companies are more than curious about your genetic test results
An article on CBSNews.com addressed why insurance companies, particularly long-term insurance companies, might want to know which of their policy holders and potential policy holders have a gene that raises their risk for cancer. The article discusses genetic discrimination by insurance companies that provide long term care policies. Federal laws protect people with gene mutations from discrimination in health insurance. No such federal laws exist for life insurance, disability insurance or long term care. (3/13/18)
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Relevance: Medium-Low
Most relevant for: People with a family history of breast cancer but no known inherited mutation
Study: No new high-risk breast cancer genes here
While some of the genes that cause hereditary breast cancer are known (for example, inherited mutations in genes like BRCA, ATM and PALB2), others remain unidentified. Two studies found 72 DNA changes (also known as “variants” or “SNPs”) that affect breast cancer risk. These variants are different from mutations in genes that dramatically increase cancer risk. Most of these new variants are located outside of the portion of DNA that is used to make proteins. Further research is needed on these new variants before they can be used by doctors to help people understand and manage their risk for cancer. (1/12/18)
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: Young women on, or considering taking hormonal birth control
Study: Birth control and breast cancer risk among younger women
On December 7, 2017 the New England Journal of Medicine published results from a study by Lina Mørrch of the University of Copenhagen and colleagues showing that hormonal contraceptives (birth control) increase the risk of breast cancer. The study is unique because it is one of the first to specifically assess the breast cancer risk associated with newer, low-dosage methods of contraception. The large and significant effort analyzed medical data of nearly 1.8 million young women in Denmark on average for over 10.9 years. Results were covered widely in the U.S. by many major media outlets, including the New York Times, USA Today, Forbes and Time. (12/14/17)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Women with dense breast tissue on mammograms
Article: Dense breasts and mammograms: Jill Goodacre’s story
Korin Miller’s piece for SELF magazine focuses on why women with dense breasts may need more than a screening mammogram. Miller highlights the recent story in People magazine of Jill Goodacre, a former Victoria’s Secret model and the wife of recording artist and talk show host Harry Connick Jr. Goodacre told of her breast cancer diagnosis 5 years ago after having additional screening of her dense breast tissue following a normal mammogram. (12/8/17)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: people with an inherited mutation linked to cancer risk
Article: Preimplantation genetic diagnosis and hereditary cancer
Andrew Joseph’s piece for STAT, “A baby with a disease gene or no baby at all: Genetic testing of embryos creates an ethical morass,” focuses on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the emerging ethical issue in the field of reproductive medicine: What to do when patients seeking to get pregnant select embryos with DNA that could lead to a disease or a disability. (11/8/17)
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: African American women who would like to lower their breast cancer risk
Study: Alcohol and breast cancer risk in African American women
The link between alcohol intake and breast cancer is well known, but most studies have involved only White women. Recently, a large study of more than 22,000 African American (AA) women found that similar to White women, increased alcohol consumption is associated with a greater risk of breast cancer. (10/27/17)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Women who use hair products who are concerned about their risk for breast cancer
Study: Beauty and the breast: hair product use and breast cancer risk
Past studies using mostly animal models showed a link between use of hair products (dyes, straighteners and relaxers) and increased risk of certain cancers. In this study, researchers looked at data on hair product use among African-American (AA) and White women to see if certain types of hair products increased breast cancer risk, and how that risk might differ between race and breast cancer hormone status. (9/27/2017)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Any woman concerned about her risk for breast cancer
Article: Can lifestyle changes impact breast cancer risk?
A recent New York Times article shared how “adopting protective living habits” could help keep breast cancer “at bay”. While many of these lifestyle changes and strategies like not smoking, avoiding weight gain, reducing alcohol consumption, eating a heart-healthy diet, and increasing physical activity have been shown to reduce breast cancer risk, there are other risk factors that one cannot control such as having a BRCA or other mutation that significantly increases breast cancer risk. Importantly, no one strategy has been proven to totally eliminate breast cancer risk. However many of these approaches have overall health benefits. (9/21/2017)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Women at average risk for breast cancer
Study: Does aspirin lower a woman’s breast cancer risk?
Women who take aspirin regularly may have a reduced risk of breast cancer. However, previous studies have reported mixed results. Few of these studies have looked at whether this potential benefit of aspirin is linked to specific types of breast cancer. This study found a small reduction in breast cancer risk for women who took a low-dose aspirin at least three times per week, but only for one subtype of breast cancer. Women who took aspirin were less likely to develop ER/PR-positive, Her2- negative breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer. This study found no breast cancer risk reduction for women who used regular-dose aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). (8/29/17)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Parents who have an inherited gene mutation
Article: Parents face challenges when deciding the best time to tell children that they may be at high risk for cancer
When certain types of cancers run in families, genetic testing can determine whether the cause is hereditary. Genetic testing can help family members understand their cancer risk and make medical decisions to stay healthy. A test result can provide significant insight, but it also creates challenges for parents, because gene mutations that cause hereditary cancers can be passed from mothers and fathers to sons and daughters. People with these mutations must make difficult decisions about when to tell their children that they too may have inherited the mutation. (8/22/2017)
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