In this episode of Bench to Bedside and Beyond, Fred Hutch's Diane Mapes talks with clinical researcher and breast cancer oncologist Dr. Rachel Yung, co-director of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Clinic at Fred Hutch, about hereditary cancer risk, genetic testing for hereditary cancers and ways to reduce your risk if you are told you have a pathogenic variant.

Key takeaways:

• Inherited cancers seen most often include breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.
• How BRCA1 and BRCA2-related risks compare with other genetic variants such as ATM and CHEK2.
• What happens after genetic testing, from counseling to specialized prevention and surveillance care.
• Options for reducing risk: earlier screening, imaging, medication, lifestyle changes and preventive surgery when appropriate.
• How a genetic variant can raise risk but does not guarantee cancer.
• How fertility, menopause and personal circumstances factor into prevention decisions.
• The difference between clinical genetic testing and direct-to-consumer results.
• What a variant of unknown significance means—and why people generally should not make medical decisions based on it alone.
• The overall takeaway is that genetic information can help people make informed, individualized choices with support from qualified clinicians and counselors.

Dr. Matthew Ross talks with John Higgins about the problems he has solved for Fred Hutch researchers using a donated 3D printer. Ross, the communications liaison for Fred Hutch Cancer Center's Basic Sciences Division, used the printer to fabricate small parts, make customized tools and create scale models of life's smallest molecular machines. Scientists and aspiring scientists can hold these models in their hands to see — and feel — their shape to infer their function.

Key takeaways

• Dr. Matthew Ross uses a donated 3D printer to make spare parts, customized tools and models of life's smallest molecular machines for teaching and learning.

• 3D printing helps the Basic Sciences Division maintain older, specialized equipment, saving money that can be reinvested in research.

• Scale models of proteins that researchers can hold in their hands provide tangible information about their structure, making the visual science of structural biology more accessible to someone with visual impairments.