- By Jessica Scott, MGC, CGC
- Posted October 16, 2024
Polyposis Explained: Solving the Mystery with RNA Testing
As a genetic counselor at Cone Cancer Center for the last twelve years, Karen Powell, CGC, enjoys helping patients understand their cancer risks. Hereditary cancer testing may provide important and possibly life-saving information for not only the patient but their family members as well. Many patients present with a family history of cancer,…
- By Jodi Tahsler
- Posted August 19, 2024
From Lynch Syndrome Diagnosis to Advocacy: A Patient and Genetic Counselor Reconnect
In honor of Patient Advocacy Day, Ambry connected with a genetic counselor and one of her former patients to find out how genetic testing made a difference for his healthcare and inspired him to advocate for other patients. Ofri Leitner, MS, LCGC, is a genetic counselor who currently manages the Oncology Genetics Program at UNC Rex Cancer Center…
- By Marcy Richardson, PhD
- Posted March 28, 2024
APC: New Takes on an Old Gene
A Brief History of APC The APC pathway was discovered in 1982 (more than 40 years ago!). APC is a tumor suppressor gene, meaning it helps the cell division process happen in a controlled way, which helps prevent tumor development. In 1991, Kinzler and Vogelstein discovered that pathogenic variants in the APC gene are…
- By Noelle Carbognin
- Posted March 22, 2024
Transforming Fear into Action and Advocacy: Our Family’s Lynch Syndrome Story
It has been almost 3 years since my father was offered genetic testing after developing three different types of cancers. He also had an alarming family history – multiple relatives with cancer, going back generations. After he received a positive result for Lynch Syndrome, putting him at an increased risk for colon cancer and other types of…
- By Liese Vito, MD
- Posted February 7, 2024
CARE Patient Examples at Lake Health
Many patients are anxious about their family history—more than providers realize. In some cases, they may feel like a ticking time bomb with no options. In Part One of this blog series, I talked about The Ambry CARE ProgramTM and how Lake Health has been able to use it to identify more high-risk patients, increase family history and cancer risk…
- By Meagan Farmer
- Posted August 2, 2023
Her Healthcare: Offering Comprehensive Care with Hereditary Cancer Testing
Dr. Noel Boyd is an OB/GYN who has been in private practice in a suburb of Houston, TX, for 21 years. The patients seen in her practice, Her Healthcare, range in age from 9 to 99, and she cares for them through everything from routine exams to high-risk pregnancy, from contraception counseling to cancer screening. “I really love taking care…
- By Catherine Schultz, MS, CGC
- Posted March 23, 2023
Ambry Genetics Diagnostic Dilemma: +RNAinsight® Reveals Lynch Syndrome in Sisters
In recognition of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Ambry would like to share the story of Jane and Julie Smith (not their real names) – sisters and cancer survivors. Jane was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004 at the age of 36. While she was concerned about her diagnosis and family history of ovarian cancer, genetic testing was not widely available…
- By Jaime Burguieres
- Posted September 29, 2022
An Attitude of Gratitude: Jaime Burguieres’ Previvor Cancer Journey Guided by Ambry Genetic Testing
When Jaime Burguieres was young, her 43-year-old maternal aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. Burguieres watched her vivacious aunt go through painful radiation and chemotherapy treatments that seemingly eradicated her cancer at the time. A few years later, her aunt was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the breast, stomach, and hip,…
- By Eleanor Meghan Cary Brown
- Posted March 8, 2018
No Colon, No Cancer: I Fought for the Life I Deserved.
I never thought I’d hear the “C” word. Newly married and about to start my graduate degree, everything seemed bright. That is until a routine colonoscopy discovered severe high-grade dysplasia. My doctor explained that he was confident it would eventually manifest into cancer and urged something be done. With the click of the phone, I collapsed…
- By David Dubin
- Posted March 30, 2017
Since You Asked, Here's My Advice to Cancer Patients
In my role as co-founder of AliveAndKickn, people ask me for my opinion all the time. Topics range from how to manage pain, how to navigate post-cancer survivorship, to whether or not the U.S. will ever become a world soccer powerhouse. (No, I’m not kidding.) I’m not big on giving advice, but I try to answer as honestly as I can. First,…