2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Coverage

We’re proud to bring you our coverage of the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium! Below, please find our audio and video interviews as well as written summaries of research presented December 9-13, 2014 in San Antonio, TX.

Podcast coverage:

2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Research Highlights

Running time: 16:01

Listen to Senior Editor Jamie DePolo talk with Brian Wojciechowski, M.D., Breastcancer.org medical adviser, …

What My Patients Are Asking: Follow-up on the Supreme Court’s Ruling That Human Genes Can’t Be Patented

The Supreme Court has ruled 9-0 that human genes cannot be patented. The Court ruled unanimously in this case that Myriad Genetics’ patents on the BRCA1 and 2 genes were invalid. The decision is a victory for patients and for industry.

This is good news for patients because access to genetic testing will improve. I spoke with George Prendergast, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of Cancer Research and …

What My Patients Are Asking: How Will the Supreme Court’s Decision on BRCA Genes Affect Me?

On April 15, 2013, the Supreme Court heard a challenge by a group of scientists to Myriad Genetics’ patent of the BRCA1 and 2 genes. On May 14, actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie revealed that she’d had a preventive double mastectomy because testing had shown her to be positive for the BRCA1 mutation, bringing further attention to the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision.

Everyone has BRCA1 …

The Mammography Debate

Confused by all the fighting over the value of mammography? There’s been an active — even fierce — debate about the value of mammography, especially since the November 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to change screening guidelines to every other year starting at age 50. Breastcancer.org has been a strong proponent of the current guidelines of annual mammography starting at age 40 for …