Women at high risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer will benefit from specific management strategies implemented at a young age. Currently we are at a disadvantage in that many women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer risk are unaware of their status. The purpose of this research will be to develop methods of identifying high risk women either through a web-based family history questionnaire or a scannable hand-completed questionnaire. A prototype of the web site is currently being developed, and the scannable questionnaire is currently being used in mammography. The next steps will be to identify an algorithm to cull out the high risk women from this data, to develop means of contacting these women to notify them of their risk and to develop methods to see these women and care for them once they have been identified.

If you would like additional information on the Breast/Ovarian Cancer Genetics and Risk Assessment Program please contact:
Connie Roche at 617-726-4919

Kevin S. Hughes, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School
Surgical Director, Breast Screening
Clinical Co-Director, Breast/Ovarian Cancer Genetics and Risk Assessment Program
Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Connie A. Roche, MSN, RN, CS
Division of Surgical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Nurse Practitioner, Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center
Nurse Practitioner, Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genetics and Risk Assessment Program