'The Angelina Jolie Effect' symposium offers inspiration, information

Original post 9/25/13, The Middletown Press

For actress, author and activist Angelina Jolie, beauty is a trademark as much as her talents on stage and screen, her relationship with Brad Pitt and the children they share and her philanthropic projects for refugees. Today she has a new distinction, known simply as the Angelina Jolie Effect - her pro-active response to the threat of breast cancer and ovarian cancer and her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy as well as her announced plans to have her ovaries removed.

To celebrate her decision and to educate all women and men about women's cancers, the public is invited to a symposium "The Angelina Jolie Effect: What Every Woman Should Know About Her Genetics" on Thursday, October 3 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 360 Amity Road, Woodbridge.

As an inspiration to encourage women to take a proactive stance on their health, Jolie had undergone BRCA gene testing and discovered she had an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer as well as a 44 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer. Her mother, grandmother and aunt died of breast or ovarian cancer, all at a young age.

Because of her mastectomy, her risks were lowered to less than 5 percent. Her decision to go public in May 2013 opened a free flowing discussion on this sensitive topic.

A panel of medical experts from the Yale University School of Medicine will include: James J. Farrell, M.D., Director, Yale Center for Pancreatic Diseases, Associate Professor of Medicine, Section of Digestive Diseases; Erin Wysong Hofstatter, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine,Breast Cancer Program; Ellen T. Matloff, M.S., C.G.C., Director, Cancer Genetic Counseling,Yale Cancer Center; and Elena Ratner, M.D., Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences.
Pre-registration is required to egroves@jewishnewhaven.org or www.jewishnewhaven.org. The event is free and open to the public and the co-chairs are Beverly Levy and Judy Sklarz.

"As a cancer patient, I know the importance of genetic testing and we've matched up two likely organizations, to which I'm connected, to sponsor this program," Levy said. "Jewish organizations like Women's Philanthropy of the New Haven Jewish Federation are spreading the word about genetic testing because Jews of Eastern European decent have a higher incidence of the BRCA gene mutation than other populations. And Discovery to Cure co-sponsoring the event is a 'natural.' They are one of the most renowned research units in the world on gynecological cancers and are right here at Yale." The increased risks of BRCA gene carriers for breast (men and women), ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancers will also be covered.

"We have come a long way from the time cancer was whispered about as the 'big C,'" Levy continued. "One hope for this symposium is to encourage women to be tested and to bring the cost of genetic testing down to make it more affordable. Women with a specific family history of gynecological cancers will face more immediate and difficult health decisions and may be able to have their insurance company cover the $3,500 price tag."

"Those of us in our 50s and 60s know someone is diagnosed with some kind of cancer all the time, many of them gynecological ones," Sklarz said. "But they don't get the recognition or the research dollars that are vital. My diagnosis of uterine cancer felt like a rite of passage, like 'This is my turn.' I wanted to be involved in this event to support Beverly and encourage ways to identify these cancers a lot earlier."

For Kate Downey Berges, a photographer from Branford, the cause is also quite personal. She will speak about the voyage she and her three sisters took when they discovered that they were BRCA 1 positive from their father's side of the family. That news hit them minutes before two of the sisters of Irish descent were diagnosed: one with breast cancer, and one with ovarian cancer. Her moving and courageous story may prompt you to examine your family history, both maternal and paternal.

Through the candidness of one of the most beautiful women in the world and her medical announcement, Angelina Jolie is truly having an effect and empowering women to be educated. A walk to raise money for all gynecological cancers is planned for Sunday, Oct. 27 on the Yale University campus, with sign-in starting at 10 a.m. at Woolsey Hall on the corners of Grove and College Streets A leisurely two mile walk, starting and ending on the Yale Commons, will focus on sight-seeing with Yale University guides, and include free parking, door prizes, snacks, fun and a great cause.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, herself a 27 year ovarian cancer survivor, is the honorary chair of the walk and will cut the ribbon officially opening the walk and give some remarks.

For her part, Levy is focused on finding new ways to help recognize, treat and prevent cancer through fundraising to support research.

"It's just not good enough that doctors find cancers like my ovarian cancer by accident," she said. "It is the fifth leading cause among cancer deaths for women and there are virtually no early warning signs. While undergoing chemotherapy, I am pouring my energy into fundraising to help the doctors and researchers at Yale develop early detection screening tests so they can find cancers like mine in the early stages when they are most curable and to find more and better treatments for women who are battling gynecologic cancers. We are hoping that people will join us for this great event to help fight back against cancer and enjoy a beautiful stroll on a fall day through the Yale University campus."

Gather your family and friends, make a team and help raise money for research and testing. Go to http://DTCNewHavenWalk.kintera.org for more information. Pre-registration is encouraged.

Donations can also be sent to: Office of Development, Yale School of Medicine/Discovery to Cure Walkathon c/o Joy Carrigan, P.O. Box 7611, New Haven, CT 06519, or call: 203-415-5555