Advances in multigene panel testing have fundamentally expanded — and complicated — the clinical landscape of hereditary breast cancer risk. In this session, Dr. Allison Kurian provides a rigorous update on breast cancer genetics, from BRCA1/2 and high-penetrance variants to the emerging evidence on moderate-risk genes and their implications for clinical decision-making. She will review current evidence and guideline recommendations for surgical risk reduction, chemoprevention, and enhanced surveillance, with attention to how clinicians can translate population-level genetics data into individualized, actionable risk management strategies for patients. A clinically essential session for any provider working at the intersection of oncology, genetics, and women's health.
Allison W. Kurian, MD, MSc, is Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and Population Health at Stanford University, where she serves as Associate Chief of the Division of Oncology, Director of the Stanford Women's Clinical Cancer Genetics Program, and Co-Leader of the Stanford Cancer Institute Population Sciences Program. A medical oncologist and epidemiologist with dual expertise in clinical cancer genetics and population science, Dr. Kurian's research focuses on identifying women at elevated breast and gynecologic cancer risk, advancing cascade genetic testing, and evaluating evidence-based strategies for early detection and risk reduction. She has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals including JAMA and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and her work has been supported by the National Cancer Institute, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Susan G. Komen, among others. Dr. Kurian serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network's Clinical Guidelines Development Panels for both breast cancer risk reduction and hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.