Ephrat Levy-Lahad, MD

Increasing genetic screening in high-risk populations and advancing the understanding of inherited risk factors in diverse populations.

Impact

Dr. Levy-Lahad is working on two related projects, the Israel Breast Cancer Study (IBCS) and the Middle East Breast Cancer Study (MEBCS) with BCRF colleagues Drs. Moien Kanaan and Mary-Claire King. Genomic testing has an important impact on breast cancer prevention and early detection by accurately identifying women who are at particularly high risk of developing breast cancer. IBCS aims to further our understanding of the genetic bases of inherited breast cancer in the general population, and to improve the delivery of genetic testing. Her work in MEBCS involves looking for new breast cancer genes in the Arab population and providing genetics services to the Palestinian population. Collectively, these studies could identify more women and families who are at high risk of breast cancer, allowing them to take advantage of preventive and early detection strategies.

Progress Thus Far

The research team is continuing to study families with multiple cases of breast cancer where the genetic cause is still unknown, using advanced DNA sequencing to search for new genes that elevate risk. They are testing how these genetic changes affect cells in the laboratory and then check their connection to breast cancer in large population databases. Additionally, they are evaluating BRCA population screening programs and found that people who knew they carried a BRCA mutation before developing cancer often had earlier diagnoses and better outcomes, even if they did not choose preventive surgery. Their findings also show that population screening helps identify at-risk individuals with less family history, leads to similar rates of preventive surgery, and provides meaningful opportunities for cancer prevention and earlier care.

What’s next

In the next year, the research team will continue enrolling high-risk families with multiple breast cancers to search for rare genetic changes using the latest sequencing technologies. The team will also refine estimates of real-world cancer risks for BRCA mutation carriers by expanding their large national dataset and comparing it to data from the Israel Cancer Registry. Finally, they will study how population-wide BRCA screening works in practice, including what factors influence participation and how testing affects prevention and care, using health records from a large women’s health center (45,000 visits annually).