Screening program fights cancer in women

A two-year-old Georgia program has served more than 1,600 women at high risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer.

The Genomics Consortium is a partnership between the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE) and the state Department of Public Health.

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The project is funded by the CDC to raise awareness about cancer genomics, provide breast cancer screenings and educate health professionals in hopes of reaching high-risk, underserved and low-income populations.

October is breast cancer awareness month.

Almost 85 percent of the women screened are from ethnic minorities, said Nancy Paris, president and CEO of Georgia CORE, in a statement. The program will spark increased surveillance data on the prevalence of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in Georgia “and may lead to similar pilot programs in the state,” Paris said.

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Georgia’s commissioner of Public Health, added in a statement. “The partnership is so effective that we are exceeding program targets.”

Academic partners, including Georgia State, Emory and Morehouse have provided clinical and scientific expertise in the development of the genomics program.