Update on Genetic Testing for Prostate Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities with Dr. Kathleen Cooney, MD, MACP

The presentation will focus on summarizing our understanding of the contribution of heritable factors to prostate cancer predisposition and the difficulties researchers have faced in identifying susceptibility genes impacting this common cancer. There have been statements from NCCN and other societies recommending genetic testing for unaffected men presumed to be at high risk for the disease as well as for men with metastatic prostate cancer. Because prostate cancer is such a common disease, this has created significant challenges for providers and patients.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Kathleen Cooney, MD, MACP | Presenter

George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, in Durham, North Carolina

Dr. Cooney was recruited to Duke University in 2018 to become the tenth chair of the Department of Medicine. As chair of the Duke Department of Medicine, Dr. Cooney oversees the largest department in the School of Medicine. She continues to teach and mentor many clinical and laboratory trainees as well as faculty. Dr. Cooney is a medical oncologist focused on caring for men with prostate cancer and internationally known for investigations examining the genetic epidemiology of prostate cancer. She discovered a recurrent mutation in the HOXB13 gene that increases the chances of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Her current research focuses on identifying germline mutations associated with lethal and aggressive prostate cancer as well as prostate cancer in African American men. Dr. Cooney received her MD from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia and completed her training in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at the University of Michigan. She previously served as chair of Internal Medicine at the University of Utah; before that, she served for nearly 10 years as the division chief of Hematology/Oncology and deputy director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Michigan.

Tameron Harvell, MSN, RN, FNP-BC | Moderator

Genomic Science Liaison, Ambry Genetics

Tameron is one of the Oncology Genomic Science Liaisons and has been with Ambry since 2016. She completed her Bachelor of Science from Lipscomb University with a dual major in biology and psychology. After working in the biotech field for several years, Tameron returned to school at Vanderbilt University for her Master of Science in Nursing. She spent the next 15+ years working in the field of oncology where her past work in genotyping led to a strong interest in inherited cancer syndromes. She has completed the City of Hope Intensive Course in Cancer Risk Assessment in order to expand her genetics knowledge enabling her to be a resource for providers who wish to provide genetic education and testing to their patients.