The Israel Genetics Consortium engaging in cancer genetics research continues to conduct the joint and multi-center study on the genetics of Breast and Ovarian Cancer in Israel:
To enable uniform data collection, a dedicated computerized database was established under the auspices of the Israel Cancer Association, allowing continuous and uniform monitoring of all clinical and genetic parameters of carriers in Israel. The database was established with the participation of Prof. Eitan Friedman, the late Prof. Bella Kaufman, Prof. Uzi Beller, Dr. Miri Sklair-Levy, Prof. Efrat Levy-Lahad, and Ms. Ariella Tomer.
In January 2020, it was decided to include testing for common mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes in the health basket as a screening test for women of Ashkenazi origin. In doing so, Israel became the first country in the world to conduct genetic screening for cancer prevention. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in early 2020, the screening program only launched in 2021, through the various HMO clinics across Israel. Current data shows that to date, more than 90,000 women have been tested as part of the screening and hundreds of new carriers have been identified.
The Israeli database has already recorded the data of more than 11,500 male and female carriers, making it one of the largest information repositories in the world. In 2024, the details of 430 additional female carriers who were treated in various hospitals across the country were entered into the repository.
The ICA supports the consortium's activities, assists in funding the purchase of software, and helps fund positions for research coordinators who coordinate its activities.
Kindly contact us should you wish to contribute to this project. Assist in funding the Genetics Consortium Project - US$ 48,000. Please note that all donations are transferred in full to the project (no overhead is taken).
Committees and Projects Manager
Telephone: +972-3-571.95.74
E-Mail: lilib@cancer.org.il