Thirteen years ago, after several of her siblings were diagnosed with cancer, Anne Wajcer knew she had no choice but to act.
The mother of three got tested for a breast and ovarian cancer mutation known as BRCA.
Testing positive would mean a 90 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and a 40 per cent chance of ovarian cancer. Wajcer was indeed someone with the BRCA mutation, and so she underwent a preventative hysterectomy and double mastectomy.
She credits the Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Foundation with helping her navigate through the complex medical and psychological process.
HBOC was founded 13 years ago by Montrealers Joanne Miller-Eisman and Dr. Harley Eisman to advance awareness, action and research.
From May 10 to 13, the foundation held its annual symposium, attracting researchers and experts from around the world.
“The unique part about this meeting is we’re able to bring together all the specialists, plus all the researchers who are involved in the domain,” said Harley Eisman.
Over the years, word of mouth has spread among the cancer research community, to the point that this year, the symposium was able to attract the director of the U.S.’s National institute of Health.
Among the topics addressed this year was whether or not there should be wide population screening, as the genetic testing Anne Wajcer received is now suggested to women with a particular family history.
“The frequency of mutations is still much higher in Jewish women than in non-Jewish women, but I think if we’re going to take advantage of this and get the maximum out of this and these developments, it’s important to find as many women as possible with mutations,” said University of Toronto-based researcher Steven Narod.
The conference shows how far cancer research has come, but also how much there is left to be done, said Eisman.
“Integrating genetic knowledge and personalized medicine really into the mainstream and into what we do every day,” he said.
