Jillian Leister learned that she carries a genetic mutation for breast and ovarian cancer through the St. Luke\u2019s DNA Answers research program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was totally floored!\u201d said the 40-year-old mother of two. \u201cIn an instant, my world flipped upside-down.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Leister, of Green Lane, Montgomery County, was not left to process the news on her own. Within the hour, she was called by St. Luke\u2019s and was offered a consult the next day with one of the Network\u2019s genetic counselors for follow-up questions and guidance on next steps.<\/p>\n
\u201cI trust St. Luke\u2019s,\u201d she said. \u201cI appreciate that this call came quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
DNA Answers is a no-cost community health research program, which St. Luke\u2019s is offering with their population genomics partner, Helix. The organizations launched the DNA Answers research study as part of an ongoing commitment by St. Luke\u2019s to the community it serves to offer the latest medical technologies that support a \u201cprecision medicine\u201d approach in healthcare.<\/p>\n
In January 2024, St. Luke\u2019s launched DNA Answers, which involves \u2018medical grade\u2019 analysis of participants\u2019 DNA through Helix\u2019s Whole Exome(+) Sequencing (WES), technology designed specifically for healthcare purposes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have arrived at a historic turning point in the history of medicine \u2013 the ability to use information stored in patients\u2019 DNA to improve the accuracy of certain treatments for the individual patient,\u201d said Aldo Carmona, MD, St. Luke\u2019s Senior Vice President of Clinical Integration.<\/p>\n
Christopher N. Chapman, MD, Medical Director for SLUHN Precision Medicine and the Principal Investigator for the DNA Answers study explained, \u201cOur study initially aims to enroll 100,000 participants over four years. Participating individuals, like Mrs. Leister, are provided genetic screening at no cost, informing them of important health information about inherited risks for serious conditions, such as a certain type of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. This knowledge allows the participant to make proactive decisions in conjunction with their healthcare provider to potentially delay, reduce, or even prevent these conditions from occurring later in life. Leister\u2019s personalized DNA Answers report, shared with her via the St. Luke\u2019s confidential patient portal, revealed that she carries the BRCA2 gene. Mutations in the BRCA2 gene are associated with multiple cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt like a ticking time bomb,\u201d she recalled. And it puts her young daughters, ages 7 and 10, at a 50% risk of inheriting the BRCA2 gene.<\/p>\n
The genetic counselor, Corrine Fillman, MS, CGC, explained Leister\u2019s results in depth and offered to refer her to St. Luke\u2019s specialists for next steps to address the issues linked to the BRCA2 mutation.<\/p>\n
Within a few weeks, Leister met with St. Luke\u2019s gynecologic surgeon Rick Boulay, MD, who advised her that preventive surgical removal of her reproductive organs would greatly reduce her chances for gynecologic cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a no-brainer,\u201d she said, and Dr. Boulay performed the operation within a few weeks. \u201cHe\u2019s fantastic!\u201d she said, adding that the preemptive surgery was uneventful and \u201cmade sense since I\u2019m through having babies.\u201d Her mother, who has no history of cancer, is having her own blood drawn this month on the advice of her daughter.<\/p>\n
Participating in DNA Answers may also allow you to keep learning from your DNA in the future. Since each participants\u2019 genetic information has been sequenced and stored, it\u00a0 allows future clinical genomic tests to be run, with a provider\u2019s order and patient consent, without the need to collect an additional sample. This could help providers tailor care options and prescribe medications even more accurately and effectively as well as provide patients access to ongoing genetic insights to continue learning about their health throughout their lifetime.<\/p>\n
Currently, Leister is undergoing routine surveillance screening for signs of breast cancer, with alternating MRIs and mammograms every six months, with consultation from Fawn Wolf, CRNP, nurse practitioner-breast specialist. She\u2019s planning to undergo a double mastectomy in early 2025, followed by breast reconstruction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m at peace now that I have knowledge, and knowledge is power,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Her husband, who has been her rock of support during this ordeal, had his genetic testing done through DNA Answers, she said. \u201cHe\u2019s good, has no mutations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having recently turned 40, Leister said she\u2019s optimistic about her long-term health. \u201cI think 2025 will be a good year to start middle age.\u201d<\/p>\n
She encourages her relatives and friends to participate in DNA Answers: \u201cDo it. It\u2019s provided at no cost and could save your life.\u201d Some friends, in addition to her mother, have taken this advice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel super-thankful to St. Luke\u2019s for offering this program and making their medical experts available,\u201d Leister said.<\/p>\n
To learn more about St. Luke\u2019s community research study, DNA Answers, visit\u00a0www.DNAanswers.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About St. Luke\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Founded in 1872,\u00a0St. Luke\u2019s University Health Network<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites. With annual net revenue of $4 billion, the Network\u2019s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke\u2019s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital.<\/p>\n Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke\u2019s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only four-year medical school campus. It also operates the nation\u2019s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke\u2019s, a member of the Children\u2019s Hospital Association, established the Lehigh Valley\u2019s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.<\/p>\n SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare\u2019s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. St. Luke\u2019s is a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World\u2019s Best Hospital. The Network\u2019s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Fortune\/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in\u00a02021 when it was identified as\u00a0THE #1 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.\u00a0In 2021, St. Luke\u2019s was also identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally. Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of SLUHN\u2019s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.<\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jillian Leister learned that she carries a genetic mutation for breast and ovarian cancer through the St. Luke\u2019s DNA Answers research program. \u201cI was totally floored!\u201d said the 40-year-old mother … Continue reading Green Lane, Pa., Woman Embracing Middle Age Optimistically Thanks to St. Luke\u2019s and DNA Answers<\/span>
\nSam Kennedy<\/p>\n