Life as a Male With a BRCA Mutation

We have heard so much about BRCA since the coming-out party of Angelina Jolie in 2012.

Prior to Angelina putting the BRCA mutation on the general public’s map, the only people who understood anything about it were the patients, their families, and some medical professionals. I say “some” because my journey as a BRCA2-positive male has proven to me that many doctors had no …

Genetic Testing and Your Family Relationships

With the approach of Mother’s Day in the United States in May, followed soon after by Father’s Day, our thoughts often turn to our grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles. If your family has experienced multiple cases of breast cancer and possibly other types of cancer, you also may be thinking about your health history — and whether or not your family members might be …

What My Patients Are Asking: What Is Pleomorphic Lobular Carcinoma In Situ?

On April 14, 2015, actress Rita Wilson announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a double mastectomy and reconstruction. In addition to invasive cancer, one of her diagnoses was pleomorphic lobular carcinoma in situ (PLCIS).

PLCIS isn’t well-known, and many of my patients wondered what it is and how it’s treated.

PLCIS is a type of lobular carcinoma in situ …

Hope and Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Now in Paperback

Remember when your doctor told you that you had breast cancer?

“Oh, yes,” you sigh.

And remember when your doctor told you it was an especially aggressive form called triple-negative, or estrogen negative?

“Oh, yes,” you shudder.

I suspect your reaction was like mine — confusion and terror.

Well, I was there eight years ago, and now, look what I have done. I survived. Eight …

Doctors Weigh In: Do Mammograms Really Save Lives?

[Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on October 30, 2013, on Philly.com. It is borrowed with permission.]