Breast cancer family history topic of monthly genetic series

HOUSTON -- (October 3, 2008) -- The effect of family history on breast cancer risk will be the topic of discussion in a public forum on Oct. 14 at The Health Museum of Houston.

The forum will feature Dr. Sharon Plon, director of the Baylor Adult Cancer Genetics Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Powel Brown, director of cancer prevention at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at BCM.

Sponsored by BCM and Texas Children's Hospital, the event is part of a monthly "Evening with Genetics" lecture series organized by BCM's Department of Molecular and Human Genetics. The series offers current information regarding care, education and research about genetic disorders.

More than 182,000 women and men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of these cases will be due to changes in a breast cancer gene.

The program is free and open to the public. It will be held at 7 p.m. at The Health Museum of Houston, 1515 Hermann Dr. For more information or to register, contact Susan Fernbach at 832-822-4182 or fernbach@bcm.edu.

For more information on upcoming seminars, visit here: http://www.bcm.edu/eveninggenetics/upcomingseminars.html