Breast Cancer Gene Research And Medical Practices

The discovery of the two inherited susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the mid-1990s created the possibility of predictive genetic testing and led to the establishment of specific medical programmes for those at high risk of developing breast cancer in the UK, US and Europe. The book provides a coherent structure for examining the diversity of practices and discourses that surround developments linked to BRCA genetics, and to the evolving field of genetics more broadly. It will be of interest to students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, history of science, STS, public health and bioethics. Chapter 8 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 3.0 license.

The discovery of the two inherited susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 in the mid-1990s created the possibility of predictive genetic testing and led to the establishment of specific medical programmes for those at high risk of developing breast cancer in the UK, US and Europe. The book provides a coherent structure for examining the diversity of practices and discourses that surround developments linked to BRCA genetics, and to the evolving field of genetics more broadly. It will be of interest to students and scholars of anthropology, sociology, history of science, STS, public health and bioethics. Chapter 8 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 3.0 license. https: //s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/tandfbis/rt-files/docs/Open+Access+Chapters/9780415824064_oachapter8.pdf

This highly informative and clearly written book presents the basic science and the latest data on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) to provide an up-to-date and holistic overview of the disease. It starts off by presenting the molecular mechanisms, genetic testing and counseling, and variants of unknown significance (VUS) to help readers understand the contemporary interpretation of the disease. Further chapters focus on the surveillance, diagnosis and treatment, including chemoprevention, risk reduction and drug development based on molecular mechanisms. It also includes a chapter on the latest findings from the HBOC database, ethical issues and the parp inhibitors, and discusses innovative thinking to manage and understand the disease. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer - Molecular Mechanism and Clinical Practice offers breast surgeons, medical oncologists, gynecological oncologists and genetic counselors a comprehensive overview of the disease. Providing insights into recent scientific findings and further avenues for investigation, it is also a thought-provoking and informative read for researchers and scholars.

The book examines the social and cultural context of new genetic knowledge associated with breast cancer. It looks at how this knowledge and technologies are used and received in two contrasting social arenas - cancer genetic clinics and a breast cancer research charity.

This title equips health professionals with the knowledge and skills required for all aspects of managing cancer family history, discussing the challenges raised and providing practical guidance on setting up a cancer family history clinic in primary and secondary care.

Resurrection Lily shares a story of inheritance and intuition, of what can surface in the body and the spirit when linked by DNA. As Amy Byer Shainman discovers she has inherited a BRCA gene mutation that puts her at high risk of developing certain cancers, she struggles to come to terms with preventively removing her breasts when she does not have a breast cancer diagnosis. Through her experience making decisions about her health, Amy becomes invigorated with purpose and establishes herself as a leading advocate for those with BRCA and other hereditary cancer syndromes, tirelessly working to educate others facing the same daunting reality. Painting a timely and moving portrait of what it feels like to carry a BRCA gene mutation, Resurrection Lily provides firsthand insight into the patient experience. Weaved throughout Amy’s open and vulnerable story is the expertise of her doctors, education from top medical experts in cancer genetics, and whispered lifesaving guidance from her grandmother Lillian.

This book deals with the essential factors in the personalization of treatment for primary breast cancer. These include host issues, lymph node surgery, radiation therapy, and preoperative systemic treatment requiring specialized knowledge, multidisciplinary care experience, techniques, and research. Locoregional treatment in conjunction with systemic treatments is another important factor, with options for local therapy significantly affected by genetic BRCA mutation. Axillary treatment issues have become top priorities in recent primary breast cancer care, and these are highlighted in the book’s presentation of technological advances in lymph node mapping and diagnosis, axillary clearance in patients with nodal metastasis, and the role of axillary surgery. Attention is also given to locoregional treatment after preoperative systemic therapy. Because therapeutic impact differs depending upon biological characteristics such as tumor subtype, local therapy should be based both on tumor biology and on therapeutic response in parallel. Associated translational research and mathematical prediction tools such as nomograms also are introduced. This book provides the essence of primary breast cancer care, particularly its individualization with novel therapeutic concepts and strategies, and will greatly benefit physicians and clinical investigators in breast cancer institutions.

Annotation. In Building Genetic Medicine, Shobita Parthasarathy shows how, even in an era of globalization, national context is playing an important role in the developmentand use of genetic technologies. Focusing on the development and deployment of genetic testing forbreast and ovarian cancer (known as BRCA testing) in the United States and Britain, Parthasarathydevelops a comparative analysis framework in order to investigate how national "toolkits"shape both regulations and the architectures of technologies and uses this framework to assess theimplications of new genetic technologies. Parthasarathy argues that differences in the American andBritish approaches to health care and commercialization of research led to the establishment ofdifferent BRCA services in the two countries. In Britain, the technology was available through theNational Health Service as an integrated program of counseling and laboratory analysis, and wasviewed as a potentially cost-effective form of preventive care. In the United States, although BRCAtesting was initially offered by a number of providers, one company eventually became the soleprovider of a test available to consumers on demand. Parthasarathy draws lessons for the future ofgenetic medicine from these cross-national differences, and discusses the ways in which comparativecase studies can inform policy-making efforts in science and technology.