NCCN Guideline changes We are so happy to announce the changes made to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines for patients with Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry. We have worked tirelessly to push for this change so that testing can be expanded based on ancestry. Ashkenazi Jewish men and women are disproportionately more likely to carry hereditary…
General
HPV Vaccine
The HPV vaccine (Gardasil) can prevent cervical cancer! Have you and your kids gotten the full series? If your kids get the vaccine before age 15, they only need 2 doses instead of 3. Also, studies show that children vaccinated at younger ages make more antibodies to the virus. Ask you pediatrician or gynecologist for…
Birth control pills protect against cancer too!
Birth control pills protect against cancer, too. A Danish study published in 2017 showed a slightly increased risk of breast cancer in women using birth control pills and other forms of hormonal contraception (one extra case of breast cancer among 7,700 women using such contraceptives per year). But before we all start using less effective…
An alternative to hormone use!
Don’t like the idea of using hormones for vaginal dryness? Now there is another option that may be just as effective- the Mona Lisa Touch. Just like laser treatments for the face, the vaginal laser creates micro-abrasions in the vaginal wall, which stimulate growth of new blood vessels and collagen. The 5 minute procedure can help with…
Ashkenazi Risk Factors
Do you know your risk factors? Do you know your heritage? Ashkenazi Jews (both men and women) have a 1/40 chance of carrying a mutation on the BRCA gene, regardless of family history. A mutation in the BRCA gene increases the possibility of developing breast cancer up to over 80% and ovarian cancer up to…
