Dr. Melissa Frey, a gynecologic oncologist, cancer geneticist, and researcher based in New York City—is redefining what gynecologic (GYN) cancer survivorship can look like. In our last blog featuring Dr. Frey’s research, we explored how her clinic transformed family history collection and risk assessment using Progeny.  

At first, Dr. Frey saw the breast cancer risk models Progeny offers as an added data point, but that changed quickly. By applying these models to patients already under GYN oncology care, her team uncovered something unexpected: a significant number were also at elevated risk for breast cancer. It was a moment that shifted how her clinic thought about survivorship.  

It has long been understood that GYN cancers and breast cancer often share risk factors, but the assessments for each are distinct and patient specific. Dr. Frey’s team evaluated breast cancer risk for nearly 100 patients in the GYN oncology clinic using Progeny’s digital family history questionnaire. The tool enabled them to run four validated breast cancer risk models—Tyrer-Cuzick, Gail, Claus, and BRCAPRO—within routine clinical workflows.  

The results were striking: 21.6% of patients had a ≥20% lifetime risk of breast cancer by Tyrer-Cuzick, meaning approximately 1 in 5 patients were found to be at elevated risk for breast cancer and may be eligible for advanced breast screening via breast MRI.¹ Additionally, more than half of patients (52.5%) were eligible for chemoprevention based on the Gail model.¹ All of these high-risk patients were referred to a breast clinic for further evaluation, which Dr. Frey says was a clear opportunity to expand survivorship care into proactive prevention and early detection.  

Implications for Survivorship Care  

For Dr. Frey and her team, these findings have reshaped what’s possible for their patients as they move through a cancer diagnosis. GYN oncologists often maintain long-term relationships with their patients. Care could extend beyond monitoring for recurrence to include proactive measures. This could mean reducing the chances of their patients facing a second diagnosis or at least enabling cancers to be diagnosed earlier when they are more likely to be treatable.  

With digital tools like Progeny, multi-model risk assessment becomes not only feasible but practical in real-world clinical settings. “This is actually an opportunity to help patients figure out other things they’re at risk for,” Dr. Frey noted, underscoring how survivorship care can evolve into something more personalized, precise, and impactful. 

1. Ahsan MD, Webster EM, Wolfe IA, et al. Personalized survivorship care: Routine breast cancer risk assessment in the gynecologic oncology clinic. Gynecol Oncol. 2024;183:47-52. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2024.03.004