What is the REACH Project?
The Risk Education & Assessment for Cancer Heredity (REACH) Project is a research study focused on educating women and their families about their risk for hereditary breast/ovarian cancer and empowering them with knowledge for making informed health decisions that could potentially save lives.
What are some of the signs of hereditary breast/ovarian cancer?
Mutations or changes in two genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 are associated with an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. These mutations can be passed down in families. This is known as Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancer or HBOC.
"Red flags" that a person or family may have HBOC include the following:
- Breast cancer diagnosed before age 50
- Cancer in both breasts (called bilateral breast cancer)
- Male breast cancer in a family
- Multiple cases of breast or ovarian cancer in more than one generation in a family
- An individual with ovarian cancer
- An individual with breast and ovarian cancer
Who can participate in the project?
If you are female, have a personal history or family history of breast or ovarian cancer, including one or more of the "red flags" listed here, and are between the ages of 25 and 74, you may be eligible to participate in the REACH Project.
How will this project benefit me and my family?
Participants in the REACH Project may benefit in these ways:
- Learn about their family risk of breast and ovarian cancer
- Find out about the option of BRCA1/2 gene mutation testing
- Be informed of ways that cancer can be prevented or detected earlier
How do I participate?
The REACH Project will provide you with free cancer-risk assessment and education sessions to determine your hereditary risk level for breast or ovarian cancer.
A Huntsman Cancer Institute genetic risk specialist will also discuss whether the BRCA1/2 genetic test could be helpful for you.
Later in the project, with your permission, we may ask to contact your family members who could be at risk for HBOC.
Participants will:
- Be randomly assigned to receive free cancer-risk assessment and education sessions either in-person at a clinic that is convenient to your home or over the telephone
- Complete a series of questionnaires by mail, phone, or the Internet
Participation does not require travel to Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are assigned to the in-person session, an HCI genetic cancer
specialist will meet you at a location near your home.
Will my privacy be protected?
We gather and protect all information according to federal laws. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of this project without your permission.
Where do I get more information?
Please contact our study staff to find out more about the REACH Project. We look forward to speaking with you soon.
Toll free: 1-866-806-7590
E-mail:
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Focus Group
The purpose of the REACH focus groups was to assess the challenges and preferences of genetic risk communication for women at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (HBOC), who had received BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic counseling and testing. The participants were asked to provide their suggestions for improving the educational brochure and the decision aids that are presented in standard cancer risk assessments for HBOC at Huntsman Cancer Institute. These links lead to a final product of the educational brochure and versions of the decision aids as presented at the focus group and then revised based on participants' suggestions.
Educational brochure:
REACH genetic counseling brochure to print 10-21-2010 (pdf)
Pretest and Posttest decision aids as presented at focus group:
BRCA12 pre-test aids Focus Group presentation 2-19-10 (powerpoint)
BRCA12 test results aids Focus Group presentation 2-19-10 (powerpoint)
Pretest and posttest decision aids after being revised for focus group suggestions:
REACH pre-test aids_final_joinec (pdf)
REACH test results aids_final (pdf)
This project is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute. It is conducted at Huntsman Cancer Institute in cooperation with other cancer registries, centers, and clinics. The University of Utah's Institutional Review Board, which ensures that research is safe and ethical, has approved this project.
