CGA-IGC at 30: Elevating Patient Voices During the 2025 Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week

Thank you to the CGA-IGC Communications committee members, leaders & the wider #HereditaryGICancer community for contributing to the 2025 #HereditaryCancerWeek 

The mission of CGA-IGC is to be a resource to its members and the wider #HereditaryGICommunity, and we're delighted to highlight the resources and initiatives shared during #HereditaryCancerWeek 

This year’s Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week held added significance as CGA-IGC celebrates its 30th anniversary. What began as a small, pioneering group of dedicated professionals in 1995 has grown into a vibrant, multidisciplinary society with over 510 members and counting. Our community reflects the full spectrum of the hereditary GI cancer care team, working together in a field that has advanced tremendously over the past three decades, with even more progress on the horizon as technology and our understanding of hereditary GI conditions continue to evolve. What remains unchanged, however, is the unwavering passion of our members and their shared commitment to improving the lives and outcomes of individuals and families affected by hereditary GI cancer syndromes.

In case you missed it!

September 28: Our communications committee member, Chandrika Kurpad, MS, LCGC, wrote a blog post focusing on the paper "Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Mismatch Repair-Proficient Colorectal Cancer in Patients with Lynch Syndrome. " It was a great read to kick off Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week!

September 29: Last week, we shared a short snippet from the Patient Perspective X Gwen Ottinger, video, Today, we're honored to be able to release the full video, which is accompanied by our updated CTNNA1/CDH1 blog post. If you haven't listened to our latest podcast, "CDH1 Chats: Digesting Tough Conversations," this week is an opportune time to catch up. It provides an insightful discussion on CDH1 and hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, tracing the history, evolving risk estimates, and differences between IGCLC and NCCN guidelines, offering practical advice for genetic counselling. Maegan Roberts, MS, LGC, also shares perspectives from her work with ClinGen, IGCLC, and the OSU CDH1-Associated BCDS Registry, which is currently recruiting participants.

September 30: Day 3 of Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week also served as a shout-out to Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month! A short video on "Using ctDNA to Detect Endometrial Cancer", which is from a gynecological cancer screening abstract featuring one of the authors and CGA-IGC Council member, Alicia Latham, MD, MS. Earlier this year, we also released a podcast, "Navigating Gynecologic Cancer Risk in Lynch Syndrome: A Closer Look at Evolving Guidelines." Listen to Ying Liu, MD, MPH, a Gynecologic Medical Oncologist & Clinical Geneticist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Nicole D. Edison, MD, Clinical Associate of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Chicago as they discuss managing gynecologic cancer risk in patients with Lynch syndrome, spotlighting the significant updates to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines released in September 2024 that have shifted the clinical approach for these patients. 

October 1: Previvor Day! It serves as a time to honor and celebrate previvors – those individuals who have not been diagnosed with cancer but are at an increased risk due to an inherited predisposition. Thanks to our Communication vice-chair, Michelle Springer, MS, CGC who shared an insightful blog post from last year's Previvor Day, which remains highly relevant in 2025. Read it HERE. The wonderful graphic from our friend and colleague Mark A Hicks. Mark is an award-winning artist and illustrator who has published numerous books on hereditary cancer in an engaging and easy-to-understand format. Learn more about Mark and his work HERE.

October 2: We were delighted to feature the "Patient Perspective" X Michael Caprio video. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the perspectives of a young patient with Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and how he has dealt with this syndrome as a young person. Watch the full video on our "Patient Perspective" blog HERE.

This video is accompanied by a blog post on FAP. Thanks to Michelle Springer, MS, CGC our Communications Committee vice-chair, for updating one of our earlier FAP posts with the latest insights. Read it HERE.

Michael has also written a book to bring awareness to his rare condition. Learn more about Michael and his book HERE.

October 3: We're grateful to our advocacy partner Fight CRC for introducing us to Thomas Vibert, and we're delighted to share the final Patient Perspective video, in which Thomas shares his story, living with Lynch Syndrome MLH1. As he says in the video, knowing is knowledge! Watch the "Patient Perspective" X Thomas Vibert video on our "Patient Perspective" blog HERE.

Thanks to our Communications Committee Chair, Kimberly Hilfrank, MS, MPH, CGC for updating one of our earlier blog posts to reflect the latest developments in 2025. For health professionals just beginning to engage with hereditary cancer care, this blog offers a clear introduction to Lynch Syndrome. Read it HERE.

October 4: Last but not least, on the final day of Hereditary Cancer Awareness Week, we were delighted to share our special 30th Anniversary blog! Read it HERE.

Learn a bit about our history and the progress of hereditary GI cancer over the past 30 years. If you are coming to St Louis next week for the 2025 CGA-IGC annual meeting, be sure to attend the James Church Lecture on Thursday October 9, providing more insights into CGA-IGC's history and the hereditary GI cancer field. It's the perfect kickoff to three days filled with cutting-edge hereditary GI cancer science, knowledge sharing and clinical insights and unparalleled networking opportunities with global experts!

If you're in the Palo Alto, CA region this weekend, and interested in hereditary GI cancer syndromes, the Solve JPS Foundation is sponsoring a symposium at Stanford School of Medicine to address Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome. Learn more HERE.

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Interested in supporting our mission and contributing to the CGA-IGC’s ongoing work for the hereditary GI cancer community?  Visit the official CGA-IGC merch store HERE  to grab your 30th anniversary gear or classic OG swag. Your purchase helps us continue to be a trusted resource for our members and the wider community!

A reminder that if you are living in St Louis, MO or in neighboring states, we are offering daily registration categories rates to attend #CGAIGC25! Learn more HERE