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Elizabeth A. Katz
Special to the Jewish News
I am
Dr. Michael
Paletta,
Chief Medical
Officer for
Hospice of
Michiga n..."
A
I lead a team of nine board-certified
physicians specializing in end-of-life care
— more than any other hospice in the
state of Michigan.
You deserve the experienced team of
professionals from Hospice of Michigan.
HOSPICE
of michigan
888-247-5701
50
April 26 • 2012
Karmanos provides support
to woman with gene mutation
linked to higher cancer risk.
The original Hospice of Michigan, where
compassionate end-of-life care begins.
www.hom.org l Serving southeastern Michigan since 1980
lana Knoppow, 26, of Wixom
can trace her Ashkenazi
Jewish lineage back many
generations. With the assistance of
the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer
Center, she also has traced a greater
incidence of cancer on her father's
side of her family tree.
Knoppow has been identified as
having a BRCA2 gene mutation, which
causes Hereditary Breast and Ovarian
Cancer Syndrome. The syndrome puts
her at up to an 84 percent chance of
developing breast cancer and up to
a 27 percent chance of developing
ovarian cancer at some point in her
lifetime as compared to the general
population risk of breast and ovarian
cancer, which is 12 percent and 1 per-
cent, respectively.
The gene mutation is more preva-
lent in those of Ashkenazi Jewish
descent, a population concentrated in
Central and Eastern Europe.
Knoppow was prompted to receive
genetic testing and counseling after
her father, who was diagnosed with
prostate cancer and then success-
fully treated at Karmanos two years
ago, tested positive for a BRCA2 gene
mutation. Her aunt on her father's
side, who passed away from breast
cancer in 2011, also came back posi-
tive for the same mutation.
"I was definitely anxious to get
this testing done she said. "I have an
unusually high instance of cancer on
my dad's side, and I had at least a 50
percent chance of having the BRCA2
gene mutation identified in my father
that causes this syndrome. I was pre-
paring for the news either way"
Though her health insurance
wouldn't cover her testing, she was
selected by the Michigan Jewish
Sports Foundation (MJSF) Genetic
Testing Assistance Fund at Karmanos
to receive $575, which covered the
cost. The foundation established the
fund at Karmanos in 2009 and, so far,
28 people have received assistance.
Genetic testing usually requires the
patient to come in for a blood test, in
conjunction with a doctor appoint-
ment and genetic counseling session
to educate individuals about genetic
testing before actually getting the
test. The patient then comes back for
a follow-up appointment to discuss
results and any specific steps that
should be taken if the results are posi-
tive for a gene mutation. Depending
on .a person's results, Karmanos also
offers support information and advice,
as well as annual consultations.
"It's not only about having the blood
test, but also about knowing what