BRCA Gene Mutations Explained

Pictured: NYITCOM student researcher Emily Seltzer and faculty researcher Dong Zhang, Ph.D., explore targeted breast cancer therapies.

Each October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month reminds us that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

For those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, the chances are even higher. The National Breast Cancer Foundation estimates that 55 to 65 percent of women with the BRCA1 mutation, and 45 percent of women with the BRCA2 mutation, will develop breast cancer before age 70.

Cancer researcher and BRCA gene expert, Dong Zhang, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine, is investigating targeted therapies for a more effective and less toxic treatment for cancer.

Watch the video below to learn more about BRCA gene mutations and why there is hope.  

Learn more about Zhang’s research.