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Breast Cancer

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Opinion
When a breast cancer diagnosis knocked me down, a network of Jewish women lifted me up

I was stunned by the number of friends my age who sent me messages to tell me they had recently gone through the same thing

By Karen E. H. Skinazi May 26, 2023 | 4 min read
Opinion
Ashkenazi Jewish women like me have a higher risk of breast cancer. I didn’t know this until my own diagnosis

Breast cancer can strike any woman at any time, yet few young women are fully aware of the potential deadly threat they face. For Ashkenazi Jews like myself, this disease looms as an even larger threat compared to most women. A mutation in the BRCA gene is the most common cause of hereditary breast cancer….

By Debbie Wasserman Schultz Oct 21, 2021 | 3 min read
Fast Forward
US Task Force: Ashkenazi Jewish Women Should Test For Breast Cancer Genes

(JTA) — Ashkenazi Jewish women should be screened for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes linked to breast cancer. That’s the recommendation by a U.S. task force announced in an editorial this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One in 40 Ashkenazi Jews have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, compared with one in…

By Marcy Oster Aug 21, 2019 | < 1 min read
Fast Forward
23andMe Risk Test Misses Almost 90 Percent of BRCA Mutation Carriers

Update, 9:20 a.m.: This story has been updated with 23andMe’s response. A recent study found that 23andMe’s direct-to-consumer BRCA test misses almost 90% of mutation carriers, GenomeWeb reported. Researchers at Invitae, a genetic information company, led the study into 23andMe’s test, which looks for three common branches in the cancer-causing BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations…

By Alyssa Fisher Apr 8, 2019 | 2 min read
Life
Orthodox Scientist Develops ‘MonitHer’ To Detect Breast Cancer At Home

A handheld ultrasound is being developed so that women can monitor their own breasts at home, allowing for a speedier detection of breast cancer. The brains behind the product, Orthodox Jew Yehudit Abrams, is a former biomedical scientist at NASA, but has changed gears in her career to focus on the software of this product,…

By Nicola Lewis Jul 16, 2018 | 2 min read
Life
Israeli Scientists Uncover Therapy That Converts Cancer Cells Into Normal Ones

Cancer cells, by definition, are abnormal cells that divide with abandon and have the potential to spread throughout and wreak havoc on your vital organs and tissues. But what if you could tell those same troublesome cells to stop misbehaving? Israeli scientists think they’ve found a way to do just that. A group of researchers…

By Barbara Brody May 15, 2018 | 2 min read
The Schmooze
Julia Louis-Dreyfus Is Recovering Well After Finishing Chemo

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the once and future duchess of Jewish diaspora culture, was seen out today for the first time since finishing her chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The actress was diagnosed in September, and spoke publicly and poignantly about the prevalence of breast cancer diagnoses — using it as an opportunity to highlight the need…

By Jenny Singer Jan 25, 2018 | 2 min read
Fast Forward
Beyond BRCA, Study Reveals 72 Mutations That May Lead To Breast Cancer

A study combining data from over 300 institutions around the world has found 72 new genetic mutations that may lead to the development of breast cancer, CNN reported. Seven of the mutations found lead to a type of breast cancer that doesn’t respond to traditional hormonal therapies, like tamoxifen. The total known number of mutations…

By Ari Feldman Oct 24, 2017 | < 1 min read

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