Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer – CME Program

One in eight (12%) of U.S. women aged 90 years or younger will develop breast cancer sometime during her lifetime. One in 70 (1.4%) will develop ovarian cancer. Female sex, increasing age, and family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer are the three greatest risk factors for both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. As with all cancers, breast cancer develops due to a combination of genetic, biologic and environment factors interacting together. Approximately 5-10% of breast cancer cases are due to a hereditary syndrome, where a single gene alteration conveys a high risk of breast and sometimes other cancers. Patients with hereditary cancer face additional cancer risks themselves as do their family members. 

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC): Is your patient at high risk? is an online educational program with the goal of improving the primary care provider's ability to identify, evaluate and manage patients at increased risk of HBOC. Working through the case studies, you will practice these skills. The program also provides strategies for counseling patients before and after genetic testing, approaches to communicating risk, and tools to help you collaborate with a genetic or other specialist.

The program is freely available and eligible for CME provided through Michigan State University. Physicians can earn up to 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for completing this course.  Other providers can complete the program and can request a certificate of completion, which can be submitted to the appropriate accrediting body.

This program is a collaboration between the Michigan Department of Community Health, the Oregon Department of Health, the Georgia Department of Health, and the Division of Cancer Prevention & Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with funding from the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention & Control and support of The Jackson Laboratory.