Understanding the Jewish-Cancer Connection

Top Pick November 7, 2018 Sharon Free
Lauren Corduck surrounded by family and friends after shaving her head shortly after starting chemotherapy (Courtesy photo)
Lauren Corduck surrounded by family and friends after shaving her head shortly after starting chemotherapy (Courtesy photo)

Temple Sinai is graciously hosting this Oneinforty symposium to educate the community about Ashkenazi Jews’ one-in-forty risk of inheriting a BRCA gene mutation. People who have a BRCA mutation are at relatively high risk for developing ovarian, prostate and male and female breast cancer. The general public risk is about one in 400.

Lauren Corduck, a 47-year-old BRCA+ ovarian cancer survivor, was also unaware of her risk, even though she had lost a grandmother to breast cancer and an aunt also had it, and she is of Jewish Ashkenazi descent. She learned of her BRCA status just one week prior to her cancer diagnosis. That is why she started Oneinforty—a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of the one-in-forty risk to Ashkenazi Jews of inheriting BRCA gene mutations and provides medical information and emotional support to individuals and families to help them effectively manage their cancer risk.

Oneinforty brings its educational symposium to Sharon, where the symposium is dedicated to the memory of Michael Selsman, a BRCA-positive congregant of Temple Sinai and tireless patient advocate who died of male breast cancer earlier this year.

Come learn about genetic counseling, screening for BRCA mutations, misconceptions about hereditary cancer, how BRCA-positive individuals can manage their risk of developing cancer, emotional support resources available for you and your family and the BRCA Founder Outreach (BFOR) Study being conducted by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Several people who are BRCA-positive will share their stories.

Following presentations by each of these panelists, there will be a Q&A session:

Betty Cooperstein, LICSW
In private practice in Brookline and Wayland

Lauren Corduck
Founder & Executive Director
Oneinforty
BRCA-positive ovarian cancer survivor

Camila Gabriel, MS
Senior Research Project Manager, BFOR Study
Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Whitfield B. Growdon, MD
Center for Gynecologic Oncology
Massachusetts General Hospital

Joi Morris, JD
Senior Vice President, Alliances & Legal Counsel
HeritX

Melissa Rosen
Director of National Outreach
Sharsheret

Nadine Tung, MD
Director, Cancer Genetics & Prevention Program
Director, Breast Medical Oncology
Principal Investigator, BFOR Study
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

This symposium is open to the general public. Kosher refreshments will be served.

Feel free to contact Lauren Corduck at laurenc@oneinforty.org or 617-823-3630 with any questions you may have about the symposium.

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Fact Sheet
When
Wednesday, November 7, 2018, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
* Registration closes on November 8th at 9:00 am
Where
Temple Sinai
25 Canton Street
Sharon, MA 02067
Organized By
Price
Free

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