A Moment for Men’s Health

Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have up to a 75% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, and up to a 50% lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer.

“While there has been a lot of knowledge and press coverage of the risks of BRCA1 and BRCA2, most has been focused on women,” says Kara Maxwell, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine. “There is still a lot of misunderstanding and confusion in the general population regarding how men can be affected by a BRCA mutation. It’s critical that we develop new strategies to reach men for genetic counseling and testing and educate them about their risk.”

Fifty percent of the population carrying a BRCA mutation are men. While cancer risks in male BRCA mutation carriers are not as dramatically elevated as those of female BRCA mutation carriers, they still face an increased risk of breast and pancreatic cancer as well as elevated risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Men are significantly less likely to undergo genetic counseling and testing and are often unaware that they have a 50/50 chance of passing this mutation on to each of their children.

Thanks to an anonymous gift, the Basser Center has launched the Men & BRCA program to accelerate research and provide men with specialized BRCA-related care. Maxwell, the Director of the Men & BRCA Program, describes it as “part of a three-pronged approach comprising education, clinical care, and research.”

“The Basser Center is uniquely positioned to accommodate such a program because of the amazing infrastructure that already exists in these three crucial areas,” she says.

Basser has helped to accelerate progress for BRCA-related cancer research, including contributing to the development of FDA-approved targeted therapies for BRCA-related cancers. Before the Center’s establishment, there were no targeted therapies for BRCA cancers. Now, four PARP inhibitors—agents which have been found effective in the treatment of heritable cancers—are available for all four BRCA-related cancer types, thanks in part to research and clinical trials taking place at the Basser Center.

Dennis Holewinski, a BRCA mutation carrier and longtime Basser Center donor, recently took advantage of the opportunity to double his support by tapping into the matching funds made available through the anonymous gift to support a research coordinator who will help expand enrollment on several prostate cancer clinical trials underway at Basser.

“Basser is committed to research that will give families like mine better options to address BRCA-related cancer risk,” says Holewinski. “We’re proud to support this life-saving work and excited to take advantage of matching funds that will allow us to make an even greater impact on research.”

As the Men & BRCA program expands, Maxwell envisions greater potential for helping men with BRCA mutations understand the risks they face and the opportunities available to safeguard their health and the health of their families.

“From a research standpoint there are numerous unanswered questions for men with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations,” says Maxwell. “There is a lot of basic science and translational science that we’re interested in pursuing, as well, regarding the interaction of the immune system with the development of cancer.”

The Basser Center hosts many public events and panels to raise awareness and educate audiences about recent developments in the fight against cancer. On March 28, Susan Domchek, Executive Director of the Basser Center, and Robert Vonderheide, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center, will give a talk on Cancer Interception and Prevention as part of the Inspiring Impact Virtual Series. On May 9, Basser’s Breakthroughs & Discoveries Panel will feature leading BRCA expects for a panel discussion focused on advances in screening and treatment for pancreatic cancer, as well as cancer interception and prevention (registration opens in March). Sign up for the Basser Center newsletter to stay up to date on events like this and more news.

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