WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN NAVIGATING PERSONAL RISKS FOR BREAST CANCER

*October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month*

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BACKGROUND:
There’s a wealth of information about breast cancer out there, which can be extremely helpful but also overwhelming. Breast cancer is not a one size fits all journey so it’s imperative to gather your family’s comprehensive health history and talk to your doctor about your own personal health history and everyday lifestyle choices to better understand your risks for breast cancer.

The management plan you choose to take should be informed by three overarching factors:

• Family History. If your family has a history of cancer, it’s critical for your doctor to know that.
• Personal History. Cancer risks are truly personal, and your health history can impact your risk assessment and potential care you need.
• Your Genes. An individual’s genetics can have significant implications for their own health and the health of their children and family, so it’s important to ask your doctor if genetic testing might be right for you. 1 in 8 patients with cancer has a gene variant, a change in their DNA, that increases the risk for cancer and can be passed down through their family; and one-third of patients with high-risk variants could benefit from different, more tailored cancer treatment after genetic testing.

On October 4th, Dr. Robert Nussbaum, Chief Medical Officer at Invitae provided an educational overview on how to assess risks for breast cancer and why genetic testing can be very effective for gathering necessary insights to help navigate proactive and reactive care.

For more information please visit: www.invitae.com and consult with your doctor if you’re interested in genetic testing.

MORE ABOUT DR. ROBERT NUSSBAUM
Dr. Nussbaum is a medical geneticist and researcher who has devoted his life to using the power of genetics to improve human health. He is a board-certified internist and medical geneticist who holds a A.B. in Applied Mathematics from Harvard College and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School in the Harvard-MIT joint program in Health Sciences and Technology. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and a fellowship in medical genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine.

His contributions to genetic science include work leading to the discovery of the first gene behind an inherited form of Parkinson’s disease as well as helping to establish the National Human Genome Research Institute laboratories in Bethesda, one of the National Institutes of Health, where he served as chief of the Genetic Disease Research Branch from 1994 to 2006. Later in his career, he specialized in clinical genetics at the University of California San Francisco where he was chief of the Division of Genomic Medicine at UCSF Health, and also held leadership roles in the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, the Program in Cardiovascular Genetics and the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

His research and vision for the future of precision medicine is sought out regularly in esteemed forums, from The New York Times to The National Academy of Sciences. A champion for advancing genetic science and reducing barriers to testing, he joined Invitae as the company’s chief medical officer in 2015 with a desire to help make genetic testing affordable and accessible to all who can benefit from it.

Produced for: Invitae