Moffitt and FORCE Announce Collaboration to Help Families Affected by Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer FORCE a nonprofit organization for individuals and families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer announces moving it's headquarters to Tampa, and the start of a three-year collaboration with Moffitt Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. (PRWEB) July 20, 2004 -- Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), a national nonprofit organization for families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute have announced a three-year collaborative project to improve research and care for families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The collaboration will encourage individuals at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer to enroll in a centralized registry for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer research, the Family Cancer Genetics Network Registry (FCGN). The new collaboration will also improve the two-way communication between the high-risk community and researchers by allowing community members to provide feedback regarding the direction of research. To facilitate the collaboration, FORCE announced that it will move its national headquarters from Coral Springs to Tampa. "We are excited about collaborating with such a well-respected cancer center," says Sue Friedman, Executive Director of FORCE. Friedman, a breast cancer survivor and carrier of BRCA-2 mutation, founded FORCE in 1999. "This unique collaboration will allow high risk individuals to weigh in on which research questions they feel are of highest priority. Those affected by hereditary cancer will be able to participate more fully in the research that will ultimately lead to better prevention, treatment and surveillance options and improved care. Access to the latest research findings will help these individuals make more informed decisions about managing their risk." Rebecca Sutphen, M.D., Director of the Cancer Genetic Counseling and Testing Service at Moffitt, says, "This exciting new collaboration aligns an active high-risk community with a major cancer center and sophisticated informatics tools. The FCGN registry makes it possible for anyone anywhere to participate in the battle to prevent cancer via the Internet and allows participants to stay in touch with researchers, receive regular updates on research progress and provide feedback to help direct the research. We expect this partnership to propel cancer prevention research forward in a way that has never been possible before." Studies show that about 10 percent of breast and ovarian cancers are hereditary. Individuals who carry certain genetic changes face a risk for cancer that is much higher than the general population. It is critical to understand how an individual’s underlying genetic makeup affects his or her risk to develop cancer, and, more important, how to prevent cancer in individuals at increased risk. Such research requires the participation of thousands of individuals and has been hampered by lack of access to research in the community. Interested individuals can enroll directly online at www.fcgn.org , or call 1-800-456-3434, extension 4990. About FORCE: FORCE was founded in 1999 by Sue Friedman, DVM, a breast cancer survivor and carrier of a BRCA-2 mutation that predisposed her to cancer. Diagnosed at the age of 33, Friedman was concerned by the lack of support, information and services specific to families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Friedman founded FORCE to provide support for high-risk women and raise awareness about hereditary cancer risks. For more information about FORCE, please visit: www.facingourrisk.org. About Moffitt Cancer Center: In 2001, the National Cancer Institute awarded Moffitt the status of a Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of its excellence in research and contributions to clinical trials, prevention and cancer control. Additionally, Moffitt is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, a prestigious alliance of the country’s leading cancer centers, and is listed in the U.S. News & World Report as one of the top cancer hospitals in America. Moffitt's sole mission is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. Contact Information: Susan Friedman 954-255-8732 suefriedman@facingourrisk.org FORCE: FACING OUR RISK OF CANCER EMPOWERED Facing Our Risk,Link to an organization for you Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.