Genetics and Cancer Research

Science Never Sleeps

We inherit lots of things through our families. Sometimes they’re visible, like the color of our eyes or hair, and other things might not be so apparent, like how you react to caffeine or how athletic you are. These traits come from genes passed to us from our parents – we inherit two copies of each gene, one from each parent, and they act as the blueprints for our bodies.

The genes we inherit can also raise our risk for some kinds of cancer. All cancers are caused by mutations in our cells, and most of the time those mutations happen simply because of aging, or because of lifestyle choices like smoking. But sometimes - in about 5%-10% of cancers - mutations are handed down through families. If you have one of these inherited mutations, you can minimize your cancer risk by following established health care guidelines and taking a proactive approach to your health.

In this episode of Science Never Sleeps, we’re joined by Dr. Kevin Hughes, the Director of Cancer Genetics at the Hollings Cancer Center and the McKoy Rose, Jr., M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology in the College of Medicine at MUSC. Dr Hughes is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in breast cancer, breast disease management, genetic testing and the identification and management of patients with hereditary breast cancer risk. His research focuses on developing tools that make cancer genetic testing simple, safe, and efficient.

Correction at the 11:40 minute mark: the statistic should be 1-2 people out of every 100 will have be identified with a gene variant at the population level.

Clarification At the 12:08 and 26:00 minute marks: Once a participant is positively identified, they are offered a free genetic counselling appointment and from there are able to follow up with the Hereditary Cancer Clinic if they desire or may seek follow up care elsewhere.

Episode Links:

Hollings Cancer Center Hereditary Cancer Clinic

In Our DNA SC community health research project

CDC Tier 1 Genomics Applications and their Importance to Public Health

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Science Never Sleeps is produced by the Office of the Vice President for Research at the Medical University of South Carolina.