What is the difference between genetic and genomic testing?

What is the difference between genetic and genomic testing?

As a genetic counselor, I talk about genetic testing with individuals who have a personal or family history of cancer. We discuss the chance that their cancer or their relative’s cancer might be inherited, and review the option of testing to determine if they carry an...

What to Expect During Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer

What to Expect During Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer

As a radiation oncologist, I find that many breast cancer patients and their family members are anxious when they meet me for the first time. Patients have often already undergone surgery, and many have already met with a medical oncologist to discuss the possibility...

The Brightening Outlook for Patients with HER2+ Breast Cancer

The Brightening Outlook for Patients with HER2+ Breast Cancer

Not all breast cancers are created equal. Historically those patients with hormone-driven breast cancer had better outcomes compared to those with HER2+ breast cancer. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/Neu is a kinase protein involved in normal cell...

Family Legacies: Hereditary Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women

Family Legacies: Hereditary Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women

Knowledge about family history of breast, ovarian and other cancers can help individuals be proactive, prevent cancer, and increase early detection screening, when treatment is minimal.     Cancer is usually not an inherited condition. However, approximately 10% of...

HRT & Breast Cancer: Facts & Updated Recommendations

HRT & Breast Cancer: Facts & Updated Recommendations

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its relationship to breast cancer has been a controversial topic for many years. A common treatment for menopausal women, HRT was discontinued by many after the publication of a prominent government-backed 2002 study linking HRT...

How Do Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Work?

How Do Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Work?

No matter your breast cancer stage, participating in a clinical trial can not only improve your level of care, but can make a difference in the lives of future patients, often at little or no extra cost. Yet despite these benefits, only a small minority of patients...