Positive Results Blog

JAMA publishes new study on BRCA mutations and improved ovarian cancer survival

2012-01-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association includes an important new article on improved ovarian cancer survival for BRCA mutation carriers co-authored by Dr. Ora Gordon, co-author of Positive Results. A link to the JAMA article can be found here. A summary of the study's conclusion is that for patient's diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer, both BRCA1 mutations and

Mastectomies: The five year update

2012-01-16T09:19:00.001-08:00

Five years ago today my husband drove me home from the hospital after my prophylactic mastectomies. I was nauseous in the car but anxious to be home in my own bed. My youngest son, who was eight at the time, was finding it difficult to sleep without me home. Once I was home, all was right in his world, regardless of the fact that I could do virtually noting for him. For the next week, after my

Dr. Ora Gordon discusses preventing breast cancer on CBS

2011-12-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

A new report released this week concludes that there are lifestyle changes women can take to reduce breast cancer risk. As readers of Positive Results know, we devoted an entire chapter to this important topic and we welcome further research in this area, which is as of yet far from clear. Here is a short summary of the conclusions reached in the Institute of Medicine Report released this week

Dr. Ora Gordon on CNN with Dr. Drew

2011-12-07T20:46:00.001-08:00

Here is the link to Dr. Gordon's CNN interview on Dr. Drew, which aired yesterday: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/12/06/exp-drew-breast-cancerr-hln.cnn This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the authors.

Dr. Gordon on HLN Tonight!

2011-12-06T10:51:00.001-08:00

The news that Giuliana Rancic is planning bilateral mastectomies has brought the issue of preventive mastectomies back to the forefront of the news. This evening on HLN Dr. Ora Gordon and BRCA-positive friend Wendy K. will be on with Dr. Drew at 9 p.m. and midnight EST and 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. PST discussing this! I don't know how much of the BRCA perspective will survive the editing room floor

Yes Dorothy, Ovarian Cancer can start in the fallopian tubes

2011-10-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

As we discussed in Positive Results, researchers are finding an increasing number of BRCA-related ovarian cancers starting the lining of the fallopian tubes at the time of preventive surgery in BRCA-positive women. Here is the story of one such woman, who shares the intimate details of her surgery, pathology and diagnosis to help inform others about this risk: Click here to see all of her

Secretary Sebelius statement for 2011 National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

The following statement was released on September 30th by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: "For more than 25 years, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has been a time to reaffirm our commitment to fighting breast cancer and to remind ourselves of the importance of prevention and early detection. Breast cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers among

National HBOC Week!

2011-10-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

It is National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Week! Check out this important video: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the authors.

Dr. Gordon on NPR's Talk of the Nation

2011-06-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

In case you missed Dr. Gordon on NPR's Talk of the Nation last week you can read or listen to the interview here. The subject was prevention and new treatments for cancer. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the authors.

Dr. Gordon on NPR's Talk of the Nation Today!

2011-06-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ora Karp Gordon will be on NPR's Talk of the Nation TODAY!! Check your local NPR listing for the broadcast time in your area! This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the authors.

BRCA Ovarian Cancer patients have better survival

2011-06-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

Early studies showed that BRCA carriers had better odds of surviving ovarian cancer than do women without these mutations. The National Cancer Institute has how done a large meta-analysis of the existing studies to date which confirms this survival benefit. Women with BRCA2 mutations have the highest odds of surviving ovarian cancer although BRCA1 carriers have better odds than women without

Come see us on May 24 at the Cancer Support Community

2011-05-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, if you live near Los Angeles your next opportunity to come see us is May 24th at the Cancer Support Community Benjamin Center. Our topic: High Risk Breast and Ovarian Cancer Update with Ora K. Gordon, MD and Joi Morrisauthors of Positive Results Making the Best Decisions When You're at High Risk for Breast or Ovarian CancerWe look forward to seeing you there!Joi and Ora This

Pay it forward

2011-05-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

"Pay it forward." These are words I hear often from women involved with FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered. Women find our organization at a time when they are in desperate need of support and information, often after being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer or after learning they or someone they love has a mutation on a BRCA gene. Once they have survived surveillance, surgeries,

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

"Mom? Where is the whisk?" "Mom? Where is the pancake pan?" "Mom? Where is the pancake recipe?" "Mom? How can I tell if the pancake batter is too thick?" "Mom? How do I turn it over?" These are the sounds of my children making me breakfast on Mother's day. They want me out of the kitchen so they can accomplish their task unassisted but they have many questions. I of course will dutifully eat

A lost generation

2011-05-02T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well worth watching, and considering: This video was created for the AARP U@50 video contest and placed second. It has had more than 15,000,000 views on YouTube since it was posted three years ago. You can view the video here. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. Inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the authors.

How to hear the news

2011-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Where were you when you learned about your BRCA mutation? Were you nestled safely inside the office of a genetic counselor who could answer your every question with your husband by your side or did you receive a telephone call with the results while you were driving a car? Perhaps you were at work when the call came with the news: "you tested positive." Does does it matter where and how we are

Great book review from a doctor in Lituania

2011-04-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Positive Results is available in many countries and we have blog readers from around the world. The following is a review of our book by a medical geneticist in Lituania on his blog, www.cancer-genetics.com from earlier this month: Positive book for all with positive results An amazing book written by BRCA2 positive cancer survivor and clinical geneticist: “Positive Results: Making the Best

Are we ready for a nuclear accident?

2011-04-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

The news out of Japan this week is that the government is getting serious about enforcing its 12 mile evacuation zone around the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. Reporters who have ventured into the zone report that the landscape to be surreal and like time standing still. 80,000 people have been displaced and have no idea when they will be able to return to their homes. At a minimum it

Kickin' Cancer 2011

2011-04-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last year I celebrated my recovery from preventive surgery to remove my ovaries with a 5K run in the 9th Annual KICKIN’ CANCER! 5K Walk/Run & Women's Healthcare Expo to raise funds and awareness for the early detection and prevention of both ovarian and breast cancer. Last year, our team, Team FORCE raised more than $9,000 for genetic testing and ovarian cancer research. This year we are getting

Why go to the FORCE Conference?

2011-04-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Check out this moving video from last year's Joining FORCEs Conference on why you should consider going this year. Take is from us (we have been!) there is nothing anywhere else that matches this conference for the breadth of information for high-risk women and men, the access to the top experts from around the world AND the ability to connect with other women in your shoes. If you can do it,

Dr. Gordon tackles tough questions

2011-03-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was the LA screening of Joanna Rudnick's film In the Family at the Disney Studios in Burbank. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with Joanna, Dr. Ora Gordon and Anya Prince, JD, a genetic discrimination expert with the Cancer Legal Resource Center. This screening was attended by nearly 100 people, most of whom had not seen the movie before. The film -- a moving

How

2011-03-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

We love the poem "How" from Martha Haley, which she read in the film In the Family (this is an abbreviation): How can I fight you, when you insist on sneaking up on me? How can I hide from you, for everywhere I go you try to find me? How can I see myself as a "woman" when you insist upon disfiguring me? How can I look at my daughter, sister and friend and wonder are you going to hurt them also.

Dr. Oz agrees

2011-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

In one of my first blogs I mused over the radiation exposure from new airport screening devices, specifically backscatter scanners, which use x-rays to "see" under our clothing to determine if we are carrying anything dangerous. My blog was written before the broad roll out of this technology, which resulted in waves of objections based on privacy concerns as well as concerns over the radiation

Radiation anyone?

2011-03-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Beachgoers near San Diego with the San Onofre power plant in the background News coverage of the potential risks of radiation exposure is omnipresent these days thanks mostly to the ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan. For those of us who are not nuclear or radiation experts (and yes, that includes me), sorting through the news reports to determine what is hype versus what is real risk for us

An open letter to my breasts

2011-03-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

The following is a guest blog from my friend Jackie: Five years ago, I hated you. I couldn’t wait to get rid of you and never, ever look back. You had betrayed me. You betrayed my whole family. I stood there, exposing you for who you were, as the doctor ran a marker over you and explained where he’d cut right into you, taking you off my body. The lump you created would be sent to pathology and