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COVID-19 and hereditary cancer resources FORCE has a dedicated resource page for you and your family to stay informed about the latest updates and find answers to many of your questions relating to COVID-19 and hereditary cancer. Watch our on-demand webinars, read our blogs, articles and FAQs. Check back frequently as we are updating the page weekly. We will get through this together!
Register for upcoming webinars:
May 7th at 4:00pm Eastern Time: Information about the COVID-19 pandemic for people diagnosed with, or at high risk for, ovarian/endometrial cancer by gynecologic oncologist, Barbara Norquist, MD, affiliated with the University of Washington. May 11th at 3:00pm Eastern Time: Yoga and mindfulness for calm, connection and compassion during COVID-19 May 14th at 1:00pm Eastern Time: FORCE has partnered with Triage Cancer to bring you: Latest COVID-19 News: Work, Insurance, & Finances
View COVID-19 resources
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Double your impact! Support of our community is needed now, more than ever before. And now, thanks to a generous offer from a loving family, all funds you raise or give will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000 through June 30, 2020, doubling the impact you will make. Make a donation or set-up a fundraising page in our For Our Future Campaign and help us be there for our community today.
Make a donation or set up a page |
Volunteer Spotlight: Maria Serra and Cassie Kobeski Thank you, Maria and Cassie, for all that you do as Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Impact Leaders since 2008 and 2014, respectively. Together, you welcome individuals and families affected by hereditary cancer to your group with hope and resources to ensure no one is alone as they face important healthcare decisions. Your actions have made a tremendous impact in your community. If you are interested in paying it forward and making a difference, complete a VolunteerFORCE application today.
Read Maria's and Cassie's stories |
New FORCE resource for telling relatives about genetic testing Do you need help sharing your genetic test results with your relatives? Our new booklet, “The Genes Between Us” guides you through the process and provides helpful resources.
View the booklet |
COVID-19 and cancer Many people with or at high risk for cancer are concerned about how the coronavirus pandemic might affect care. Our latest XRAY review looks at the issues that the hereditary cancer community faces with COVID-19.
Read our XRAY review |
ACT NOW to preserve access to mammograms and funding for breast cancer risk education Ask your elected representatives to support reauthorization of the PALS Act and EARLY Act, crucial pieces of legislation that make mammograms and breast cancer programs more accessible for women under age 50.
See our Hot Topic to learn more |
Read our FORCE blog for more updates Subscribe to our blog, Thoughts from FORCE, for personal stories and deeper insights into issues that affect our community. Recent topics include: A Survivor's Insight: There is Always a Silver Lining National Minority Cancer Awareness Month: Is the Cancer in Your Family Hereditary? COVID-19 Pandemic and Breast Cancer Surgery Dealing with an Extra Helping of Stress View our blog |
Get virtual support You are not alone! FORCE’s staff and volunteers are available to support you via our virtual support programs. Connect with trained individuals who understand the decisions you face. Message Boards (make new friends and share concerns) Peer Navigation Program (receive personalized support and resource guide) Helpline - (866) 288-RISK (7475) Outreach support via email in each state COVID-19 Virtual Resources (live your life empowered – we will get through this together) If you would like to help others, please learn about our available volunteer roles and apply, if interested. Online training is provided and can be done from your own home. |
Navigation portals connect people to information, research and support resources FORCE has new portal pages with links to information, research and support resources. Learn the role that genetics can play in these cancers, treatment options and opportunities to participate in clinical trials. Personalized portals are available for: High-risk women Pancreatic cancer Metastatic prostate cancer Metastatic breast cancer |
Find HBOC studies and participate in research!
Please visit our new and improved HBOC Research Search Tool and Featured Research Page to find and participate in research studies enrolling patients like you.
Study search tool / Featured research studies |
Clinical trials and research studies need participants The research studies below are enrolling people with, or at high risk for hereditary cancer. |
Study for people with unexpected genetic results Did you receive an unexpected genetic test result related to cancer risk? A new study is recruiting people who had genetic testing done for some other reason and received results related to their cancer risks. The goal of this study is to learn what people think about, and how they use results like this.
Learn more about the study |
Connect My Variant University of Washington researchers are studying ways to help people with genetic disease risk find and talk to family members that have the same genetic mutations. In this study, researchers will help families connect with each other, talk about genetics, and encourage other relative to get genetic testing. The study team hopes to act as partners to help you find and connect with your relatives. With your help we want to make it easier for people like you to find where familial variants came from and prevent disease in everyone with the same risk variant.
Learn more about the study |
Patients making meaning from education and support materials Individuals with a past or current breast cancer diagnosis are invited to complete a brief survey about documents and materials that make patients feel most supported and help them make meaning from their illness; researchers want to understand how these effects are achieved in order to make recommendations to practitioners, community partners, and others about how best to support patients.
Take the survey |
A study to evaluate Rucaparib in patients with solid tumors and with deleterious mutations in HRR genes (LODESTAR) The LODESTAR study is evaluating the response of the PARP inhibitor rucaparib in people with advanced solid tumors (including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate and other cancers) who have an inherited or acquired mutation in any of the following genes: BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, BARD1, BRIP1, FANCA, NBN, RAD51 or RAD51B.
Learn more about LODESTAR |
ELLIE's Project Do you have a genetic mutation increasing your risk of cancer? Help inform us how future research on lifestyle habits can better serve YOU! Take a 20-minutes survey to learn about nutrition and exercise in relationship to hereditary cancer mutations.
Take the survey |
IMMray™ PanCan-d Test for early detection of pancreatic cancer in high-risk groups
The Study of IMMray™ PanCan-d Test for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer in High-risk Groups is enrolling people who do not have pancreatic cancer, but have a higher risk of developing the disease.
Learn more
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Study of safety and effectiveness of Motiva® breast implants The only way to continue to advance the safety and performance of breast implants is through research. The Motiva Implants® US clinical study is recruiting now for breast reconstruction (both primary and revision) participants. Visit the study link to learn more and participate.
Learn more |
Pilot study of Denosumab in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers scheduling risk-reducing Salpingo-Oophorectomy Are you a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carrier scheduled to have your fallopian tubes and ovaries removed? Learn about an opportunity to enroll in a clinical trial looking at the effects of denosumab on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus (for women getting a hysterectomy) of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Denosumab is an FDA-approved injectable medication that is used to treat osteoporosis and to prevent fractures in cancer patients with bone metastases. The eventual goal is to understand if denosumab may be used to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation
Learn more |
GENERATE Study The GENERATE (GENetic Education Risk Assessment and Testing) Study offers genetic testing for people who have a close relative with pancreatic cancer that was caused by a mutation in a gene. Knowing about inherited risk helps families protect themselves against pancreatic and other cancers. Visit the study website to learn more and fill out the Eligibility Questionnaire.
Learn more about GENERATE |
Screening for men at high genetic risk for prostate cancer The National Institutes of Health has a clinical trial for men at high genetic risk for prostate cancer. This is trial is for men without prostate cancer, ages 30 to 75, who have tested positive for Lynch syndrome (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, EPCAM) or BRCA1, BRCA2, HOXB13, ATM, NBN, TP53, CHEK2, PALB2, RAD51D, BRIP1, FANCA). The trial involves screening MRI of the prostate every two years and biopsy of the prostate if the MRI is abnormal. There is no cost for travel or study-related tests.
Learn more about the study |
A Study in advanced breast cancer patients with BRCA 1/2 mutations evaluating Olaparib alone or in combination with Atezolizumab This is a study for women or men who have been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer with a BRCA 1/2 mutation. The goal of this study is to look at whether giving the DNA damage repair inhibitor (PARP inhibitor) olaparib (Lynparza) in combination with the immunotherapy atezolizumab (Tecentriq) improves outcomes for patients compared to olaparib alone.
Learn more about the study |
Olaparib Expanded study – metastatic breast cancer The Olaparib Expanded study is enrolling people with metastatic breast cancer who do not have an inherited BRCA mutation. The study is looking at olaparib to treat metastatic breast cancer in people with non-BRCA inherited mutations, such as PALB2, ATM, CHEK2, BRIP1 and others. The study is also open to people with BRCA or other mutations within their tumor.
Learn more about the study |
CheckMate-9KD
CheckMate-9KD is a clinical research study for men with metastatic prostate cancer (which means cancer that has spread) that no longer responds to treatments that lower testosterone. Visit the link below to learn more about the study.
Learn more about CheckMate-9K
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Metastatic Prostate Cancer Project The Metastatic Prostate Cancer Project is a nationwide genomic research study for men with advanced and/or metastatic prostate cancer. Patients can join online and participate by sharing their medical information and samples. The goal of the project is to generate a comprehensive database that will be shared with the entire research community to accelerate discoveries in prostate cancer. Learn more about the study |
Ovarian Cancer Treatment Preferences Survey If you have ever been diagnosed with Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal cancer and have undergone chemotherapy, please consider participating in this Patient Preferences Study. Our goal is to learn about what is most important to patients when choosing cancer treatment. Specifically, we'd like to know how patients feel about taking a break from treatment versus taking an additional medication. Click here to begin the survey |
Menopause and cognitive difficulty study Did you know undergoing surgically or chemically induced menopause could put you at risk for cognitive difficulties? Our study seeks to determine the effectiveness of a stimulant drug called Vyvanse on the cognitive functioning of women who experience executive functioning difficulties following surgically induced menopause. For more information, please contact our team. Learn more about IMPRES |
GENTleMEN Study: Genetic Testing for Men with Metastatic Prostate Cancer The goal of this research study is to determine if online genetic education and testing with online telephone genetic counseling is an acceptable method of delivering genetic testing to men with metastatic prostate cancer.
This study involves undergoing genetic counseling and genetic testing for inherited cancer risk. Learn more about the study |
Athena- Rucaparib and Novolumab for maintenance in ovarian cancer ATHENA is a study for women who are newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. ATHENA is looking at whether maintenance therapy with a PARP inhibitor and/or immunotherapy improves outcomes for women who have completed front-line ovarian cancer treatment. Learn more about ATHENA |
Genetic Education for Men (GEM) Study The Genetic Education for Men (GEM) study, is a clinical trial evaluating educational tools for men from families in which a BRCA1/2 gene mutation has been identified. In order to identify untested men from BRCA1/2 families, we are seeking women who have received positive BRCA1/2 test results and have at least one untested male relative. Learn more about the GEM study |
ARIEL4- ovarian cancer ARIEL4 is a treatment study for women with relapsed, high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. ARIEL4 is designed to evaluate rucaparib against standard of care chemotherapy in women who have had at least two prior chemotherapy regimens. Visit the ARIEL4 Study page for more information. More information on ARIEL4 |
TRITON3- prostate cancer The purpose of TRITON3 is to determine how patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and an inherited BRCA1, BRCA2 or ATM gene mutation or tumor genetic deficiency respond to treatment with the PARP inhibitor rucaparib (Rubraca) compared to treatment with physician's choice of abiraterone acetate, enzalutamide, or docetaxel. More information on TRITON3 |
Metastatic Breast Cancer Project The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project is a patient-partnered initiative that directly engages patients across the US & Canada to transform our understanding of metastatic breast cancer. Patients participate by sharing their medical information, tumor samples, and their voices. There is no cost to participate. A small effort can have a major impact. Learn more about the study |
WISP - Women Choosing Surgical Prevention This study is open to pre-menopausal women between 30-50 with a mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, BARD1, MSH2, MSH6, MLH1, PMS2 or EPCAM. Women choose to either have their fallopian tubes removed now and their ovaries later or to have their tubes and ovaries removed at the same time. Outcomes are sexual function and quality of life between the women grouped by surgical procedure. Learn more about WISP |
PALB2 Study The PALB2 Study is an international research study looking to recruit women with PALB2 mutations who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Research shows that PALB2 mutations increase the risk of developing breast cancer; however, it is not clear how to best treat or reduce the risk of breast cancer in women with PALB2 mutations. This research study collects information about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment using short questionnaires in order to learn more about breast cancer among women with a PALB2 mutation. This information will help to determine the best treatment for women with PALB2-associated breast cancer and determine which factors predict survival. Through a better understanding, we can personalize breast cancer treatment to increase survival and determine how to best manage at risk family members to detect cancer early or prevent it. For more information please email [email protected]. |
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