Basser Center for BRCA

03/31/2026

Blood tests that aim to detect multiple types of cancer have recently been in the news. However, most of these tests are not FDA-approved as clinical trials testing their effectiveness are still ongoing. “The real question is, is this empowering and improving people’s health or creating a lot of noise?” said Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine - Abramson Cancer Center. Right now, Domchek and other experts encourage people who are interested in such tests to participate in a research study. For example, the NCI is currently enrolling 18,000 adults in a large clinical trial to evaluate two cancer blood tests.

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Forbes
Penn Medicine

Multicancer early detection tests hold great promise for finding cancer early enough to save lives, but there are caveats that consumers should understand.

03/30/2026

Penn Medicine Spotlight:

Kara Maxwell, MD, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and the Department of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a Staff Physician at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Maxwell is the Director of the Penn Medicine Basser Center for BRCA’s Men and BRCA Program which aims to improve the clinical care of men with inherited risk for cancer. Dr. Maxwell leads national research programs, including the Veterans’ Affairs National Oncology Program, to understand how to better use genetic information to improve early cancer detection and prevention.

03/17/2026

What if pancreatic cancer could be stopped before it even begins?

Researchers at Penn Medicine, led by Minh Than, MD, PhD, a clinical and research fellow in Hematology-Oncology, Ben Stanger, MD, PhD, director of the Penn Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, and Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of Penn Medicine - Abramson Cancer Center, are working toward that goal.

Their latest research focuses on targeting the earliest, pre-cancerous changes in the pancreas. In preclinical studies, they were able to eliminate these lesions before they developed into pancreatic cancer.

Why is this so important?

Pancreatic cancer is often found at a later stage, when treatment options are more limited. Because there is no routine screening for the general population, prevention and early intervention are critical.

This work is part of an emerging field known as “cancer interception”, an approach focused on stopping cancer before it fully develops. For people at increased risk, including those with inherited gene mutations like BRCA, this research represents meaningful progress toward earlier, more proactive care.

While still in early stages, this is an exciting step toward changing how we approach pancreatic cancer.

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03/11/2026

Part ✌️…because changing the future of BRCA takes a village! And because our team is too good to fit in one post 😉

1️⃣👉She had no idea they’d grow up to be the person providing hands-on care and guidance to patients navigating life with a BRCA diagnosis.

2️⃣👉The kid who had no idea they’d grow up to be the person making sure men know that BRCA is their fight too.

3️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person at the bedside of patients helping turn research into real, life-changing treatment.

4️⃣👉She had no idea they’d grow up to be the person making sure every study, every trial, and every data point moves us closer to answers.

5️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person making sure that every part of Basser operates with the focus and precision that patients deserve

6️⃣👉This girl had no idea they’d grow up to be the person ensuring Basser has the resources to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for BRCA research and care.

7️⃣👉The kid who had no idea they’d grow up to be the person opening doors to clinical trials and giving patients access to the future of BRCA care.

8️⃣👉She had no idea they’d grow up to be the person guiding a team of counselors who help patients turn complex genetic information into a clear path forward.

9️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person making sure Basser’s most important research stays moving, stays organized, and stays making an impact.

03/10/2026

For anyone navigating a BRCA diagnosis or family history, cost shouldn’t be the reason you don’t get answers. Talking to a genetic counselor means you don’t have to figure any of it out alone.

Whether you’re covered by insurance or not, there are options available to help you access the testing you need.

📲Swipe through to learn what to expect, what you may owe, and what protections you have as a patient.

Have questions about coverage or costs? Your genetic counselor is here to help. Reach out to your genetics provider to get started.

03/03/2026

🧬This is what it looks like when a whole team decides to change the future of BRCA🧬

1️⃣👉The kid who had no idea they’d one day build the world’s leading center for BRCA research and change the lives of millions.

2️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person connecting communities with the life-saving knowledge and resources they deserve.

3️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person who helps patients turn uncertainty into an action plan.

4️⃣👉The kid who had no idea they’d one day be the reason patients get access to tomorrow’s treatments today.

5️⃣👉The kid who had no idea they’d one day be the reason groundbreaking science actually gets to happen on schedule.

6️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person overseeing the research and biological resources that make our BRCA breakthroughs possible.

7️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person who helps you understand what your genes really mean for you and your family’s future.

8️⃣👉I had no idea I’d grow up to spend my days making sure everyone knows that knowing your BRCA status could be life-changing.

9️⃣👉They had no idea they’d grow up to be the person who takes your family history and helps makes sense of the science.

02/24/2026

People sometimes think the words “previvor” and “survivor” mean the same thing.

When I first found out I carried a BRCA2 mutation, I became a previvor. That meant learning that a genetic mutation could increase my risk for more than one type of cancer. It meant thinking about prevention, surgeries, screenings, and decisions I never expected to be making in my 20s. Eventually, breast cancer did become part of my story, and now I’m a survivor too.

Previvors fight risk.
Survivors fight cancer.

Both words represent different chapters of my life as a mutation carrier, and both of these chapters stem from one genetic mutation. I can’t change that I carry the mutation, but I every day I stay committed to prevention, survival, and sharing everything this journey has taught me along the way. ❤️

02/18/2026

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about BRCA mutations. We’re separating fact from fiction:

Slide 2: Genetic testing can be proactive. Many people test before a diagnosis to better understand their hereditary cancer risk and plan ahead.

Slide 3: A mutation increases cancer risk. It does not guarantee a cancer diagnosis.

Slide 4: BRCA mutations can impact men, too. Men can carry the mutation, pass it on, and face increased risks for prostate, pancreatic, and male breast cancer.

Slide 5: BRCA mutations can be inherited from either parent. Both mothers and fathers can both carry and pass down a mutation to their children.

Slide 6: Many insurance plans cover genetic counseling and testing for people who meet certain criteria. There are also financial assistance programs that make testing more accessible than most people think.

02/04/2026

“You should consider genetic testing.”

Okay… but what’s next?

There’s a lot of information about genetic testing out there, and sometimes it’s hard to know what to do next. No one tells you exactly *what* to ask after the initial testing, but we’re here to help.

Save these questions for your next appointment with your genetics provider!

02/04/2026

World Cancer Day is an international day marked on Feb. 4 every year to raise awareness of cancer.

At Abramson Cancer Center, we bring together a committed team of specialists, including oncologists, surgeons, and researchers, to provide the latest advancements in cancer prevention, diagnostics, and treatment for patients diagnosed with cancer—today and every day.

11/24/2025

The Basser Center honors Alan D. D'Andrea, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with the 2025 BRCA Impact Award. D’Andrea is internationally recognized for his BRCA research, and his work is leading to significant improvements in drug development and in clinical care for BRCA-related cancers.

He is known for unraveling the Fanconi Anemia/BRCA pathway. His laboratory made the extraordinary discovery that proteins encoded by the Fanconi Anemia genes—which are associated with rare inherited bone marrow failure syndromes—act in a common pathway that intersects with BRCA1 and BRCA2. Biomarkers for this pathway have contributed significantly to the development of new anti-cancer drugs, such as PARP inhibitors. He also discovered two critical DNA repair targets, required for the growth of BRCA1 or BRCA2-deficient tumors, leading to the development of new inhibitors currently being tested in clinical trials.

“It is my honor to receive this award from the Basser Center,” D’Andrea said. “I share the award with the families with inherited mutations BRCA1, BRCA2, and Fanconi Anemia Genes, who have been my close collaborators in my research.”

The BRCA Impact Award is generously supported by Shari Potter and Leonard Potter.

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