Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on October 22, 2014

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -

When a young Jewish woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States, an organization founded more than a decade ago is ready to help.

Rochelle Shoretz, who has been living with breast cancer for 13 years, wanted to make sure that other women in her shoes would not feel alone. She also wanted to spread information about the health risks the Jewish community faces.

The Center for Disease Control reports two percent of Ashkenazi Jews carry one of the specific mutations associated with hereditary breast cancer. But not enough people know that.

Briana Schwarz is helping her spread the message in Florida. In May, the organization marked a year of activism in Florida, and Shoretz was in town to celebrate. And October 12, Sharsheret held their Rock N' Run event in Pinecrest.

ACTIVE IN FLORIDA

October is a busy month for Schwarz. On Wednesday night, she will be talking about breast cancer at Temple Beth Torah in North Miami Beach.

And on Tuesday night, she was at Miami Beach Cosmetic and Plastic Surgery Center talking about how the disease affects the Jewish community in front of about 30 people.

Jewish families are significantly more susceptible to hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer, she said.

In the regular population only 1 in 345 people carry that breast cancer gene mutation, but in Ashkenazi Jewish families 1 in 40 carry BRCA, a genetic mutation that increases the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Originally posted here:

What is Jewish about breast cancer? Sharsheret spreads message about risk

Category: Ashkenazi
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