DNA replication—which happens when cells divide—is one of the most important processes in all living organisms. In a landmark finding, scientists identified a multi-protein “machine” in cells that helps govern the pausing of this process. The study was led by Roger Greenberg, MD, PhD, Basser Center director of Basic Science.

Susan M. Domchek, MD, Basser Center executive director, and Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the ACC, report on cancer interception development with rapid advances in technology, therapeutics, and genetic testing methods.

Stacey Sager shares a series of stories as she takes us through her own courageous and challenging health journey as a BRCA1 gene mutation carrier, featuring Dr. Susan Domchek, the executive director at the Basser Center.

Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center, discusses the latest updates in the race for a cancer prevention vaccine that could benefit individuals and families carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation.

A groundbreaking cancer vaccine is in the midst of clinical trials at the Basser Center. The shot would benefit those carrying cancer-causing BRCA gene mutations by recognizing the earliest signs of disease and stopping cancer before it develops.

University of Pennsylvania researchers are studying a preventative vaccine for people who carry cancer-causing BRCA gene mutations, through a clinical trial with healthy participants.

Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, Abramson Cancer Center Director, describes the Basser Center's work on creating a vaccine for people at high risk for certain cancers as a potential “game changer.” The Basser team's vaccine research is one of three examples that Dr. Vonderheide says show major promise to advance cancer care in the coming years.

The Basser Center for BRCA won a Bronze Award in the “Print/Out-of-Home Campaign of the Year” category from the Healthcare Impact Awards, presented by Modern Healthcare and Ad Age. The campaign raised awareness of and encouraged genetic testing for BRCA gene mutations, which can increase an individual’s chances of developing ovarian, breast, and other cancers.

Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA, speaks with NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson for the TODAY Show about the revolutionary work at Penn Medicine's Basser Cancer Interception Institute. The team is working on what could be the next revolutionary step in the creation of a vaccine to stop cancers caused by BRCA mutations.

Susan Domchek, MD, answered common questions about BRCA gene mutations and their connection to cancer risk. “5% of women and 10% of men with breast cancer have a specific genetic susceptibility.”

Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, Director of Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center, is one of five experts from the University of Pennsylvania that have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the nation’s highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

Mid Penn Bank President and CEO Rory Ritrievi presents the Basser Center with a $100,000 donation from funds raised at the July 2023 Mid Penn Bank Celebrity Golf Classic. 

After battling and overcoming ovarian cancer, Christine Hussey is no stranger to climbing mountains - literally! Christine made a goal of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with her husband and twin sons to help raise awareness for those who have been affected by the disease. Christine is a BRCA2 gene mutation carrier, as is her mother, another ovarian cancer survivor. Dr. Kara Maxwell, Basser's Men & BRCA program director, follows Christine for her cancer risk management.

A new study found that having BRCA mutations and having a close relative who has had breast cancer raised risk the most. Susan Domchek, MD, executive director of the Basser Center, who was not involved in the study, said that as more people undergo BRCA testing, it’s critical to give them an accurate risk estimate—with family history or lack thereof being key in the equation.

Many women undergo genetic testing for gene mutations to assess breast cancer risk, but BRCA gene mutations also put men at higher risk, not just for breast cancer, but prostate and pancreatic cancer as well. Kara Maxwell, MD, PhD, director of the Men & BRCA Program at the Basser Center for BRCA, explained what men should know about genetic testing and cancer risk.