Timing of genetic testing in BRCA1/2 and PALB2-Associated breast cancer: Preoperative result disclosure increases uptake of risk-reducing mastectomy and reduces unnecessary exposure to radiotherapy.

Introduction: The impact of timing of genetic testing on uptake of risk reducing mastectomy (RRM) in affected female BRCA1/2 or PALB2 carriers remains an area of evolving interest, particularly with the introduction of mainstream genetic testing initiatives.

Methods: Women with stage I-III breast cancer and a confirmed germline pathogenic variant in BRCA1/2 or PALB2 between 2000 and 2023 were identified from an institutional genetics database. Uptake of RRM was evaluated according to disclosure of genetic testing results before or after index surgery for a first diagnosis of breast cancer.

Surgical Decision Making in Genetically High-Risk Women: Quantifying Postoperative Complications and Long-Term Risks of Supplemental Surgery After Risk-Reducing Mastectomy.

Background: Risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) helps prevent breast cancer in high-risk women but also carries a risk of unanticipated supplemental surgeries. We sought to determine the likelihood of supplemental surgeries following RRM.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of female patients with a confirmed germline pathogenic variant (GPV) in a breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1/2, PALB2 and others) who underwent bilateral or contralateral RRM at our institution between 2006 and 2022.

Addressing healthcare barriers faced by asylum seekers and refugees through an interprofessional symposium.

In this work, we describe an interprofessional healthcare symposium driven by the challenges faced by the local asylum-seeking/refugee population in Montreal. McGill University medical, nursing, dietetics, and social work students partnered with local experts to provide attendees with tools to better meet the needs of Montreal's migrant population. This student-led initiative, unique in its interdisciplinary and comprehensive nature, increased awareness of the needs of an underserved population while promoting student engagement in health advocacy and interprofessional collaboration.

Incidence of Occult Breast Cancer in Carriers of BRCA1/2 or Other High-Penetrance Pathogenic Variants Undergoing Prophylactic Mastectomy: When is Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Indicated?

Background: This study sought to determine the likelihood of occult malignancy during risk-reducing mastectomy in high-penetrance pathogenic variant carriers to help refine axillary staging recommendations.

Methods: The authors performed a retrospective cohort study analyzing all female carriers of pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2, PALB2 or other genes who underwent prophylactic surgery at their institution between 2006 and 2021. Occult breast cancer was defined as the unanticipated presence of in situ or invasive malignancy on pathologic evaluation of prophylactic mastectomy specimens.