Founded in partnership between the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center and Alejandra Campoverdi (founder of the Well Woman Coalition and co-host of the Pod is a Woman Podcast), Latinos & BRCA is a comprehensive initiative to raise awareness, provide education and resources, and build community for the U.S. Latino community around BRCA-related cancers.
Latinos & BRCA Resources
- BRCA Fact Sheet
- Men and BRCA Fact Sheet
- Collect Your Family History Form
- Mastectomy Surgery Advice Checklist
- Support and Additional Resources
- Find Spanish-Speaking Providers Near You
To view these resources in Spanish, click here.
Latinos & BRCA Outreach Poster Campaign
As part of the Basser Center’s Latinos & BRCA initiative, we’ve launched an outreach poster campaign to raise awareness, provide resources and offer support to Latino communities about BRCA genetic mutations in men and women. Our poster campaign toolkit contains educational materials in English and Spanish, including a poster, family history tool, fact sheets and brochure. We are seeking the help of organizations and healthcare providers to reach additional communities!
*Organizations can also email basserinfo@uphs.upenn.edu to learn more.
Family Health History in the Latino Community with Miri Rodriguez
When author and storyteller Miri Rodriguez discovered she carried a BRCA1 gene mutation, she took on the role of informing her own family about how this mutation could be passed through generations. Miri and her aunt discuss the importance of knowing your family history in the Latino community. Read more in her blog here.
Nicole Discusses the Importance of Having Health History Conversations in the Latino Community
Basser Young Leadership Council member and patient advocate Nicole Garcia, shares how she found out about her BRCA1 genetic mutation diagnosis and how important it was for her to have open discussions about her family health history as a Latina.
The Value of Genetic Testing in the Latino Community
Alina M. Mateo, M.D., Director of the Integrated Breast Center at Pennsylvania Hospital, talks with Lucy Maria De La Cruz, MD, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Chief of Breast Surgery, about the importance of feeling comfortable in a space with a healthcare team that you can understand in your own language.
A BRCA Family Affair: The Garcia Family Shares Their Story
Basser Young Leadership Council member and patient advocate Nicole Garcia, her mother, Mariana Garcia, and her sister, Marisa Martinez, discuss their family's journey with BRCA, including how they've managed their personal cancer risk, and how the Latino community can better educate themselves about family cancer history. The panel was moderated by Alejandra Campoverdi, co-founder of the Basser Center's Latinos & BRCA initiative.
Latinos & BRCA
Elle Magazine editor-in-chief and fashion icon Nina Garcia shares her personal experience with BRCA and hereditary cancer for the official launch of Latinos & BRCA on November 18, 2019, at the Basser Jean Bash.
A Conversation with Nicole Garcia
While everyone has BRCA genes, inheriting a gene mutation can increase your risk of certain types of cancer. The Basser Center's Latinos & BRCA initiative presents this conversation with Nicole Garcia, who shares her personal story about her family's journey with hereditary cancer.
Replacing Fear with Hope (Español)
BRCA mutations can increase lifetime risk for cancers including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and melanoma. Women and men alike can inherit these mutations and pass them on to their children. Learn more potentially life-saving information about BRCA in this Spanish-language video.
Latinos & BRCA in the News
- Breast Believe Provides Resources to Organizations Prioritizing Breast Cancer Awareness - Especially in Historically Underserved Communities
- 10 Cancer Super Survivors You Need to Follow on Instagram Right Now (Parade)
- Disparities in Genetic Testing for Cancer Susceptibility (OneinForty)
- Nina Garcia Honored At Basser Center Gala For Cancer Research (Elle Magazine)
- Breast Cancer is a Family Legacy for this Young Latina (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
- How Alejandra Campoverdi Outwitted Breast Cancer While Helping Women Save Their Own Lives (People en Español
- Breast Cancer Stalked Every Woman in Her Family. She was Determined it Wouldn’t Get Her. (LA Times)
About the Basser Center
Founded in 2012 by Penn alumni, Mindy and Jon Gray, the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center is the first comprehensive center for the research, treatment, and prevention of BRCA-related cancers. Devoted to advancing care for people affected by BRCA gene mutations, the Basser Center's unique model provides funding for collaborative research, education and outreach programs around the world. The Basser Center's mission is to see a world free of the devastating effects of BRCA-related cancers and, in doing so, provide a roadmap for curing genetic diseases.
About Alejandra Campoverdi
Alejandra Campoverdi is a vocal women's health advocate, the founder of the Well Woman Coalition, co-host of the Pod is a Woman Podcast, and a former White House aide to President Obama. She founded the Well Woman Coalition in 2018 while undergoing a double mastectomy to lower her breast cancer risk after testing positive for a BRCA mutation. The Well Woman Coalition initiative empowers women of color to have agency over their own health and healing through awareness, education and advocacy.