Image courtesy of Behrman CommunicationsImage courtesy of Behrman Communications
On September 17, 2014 RevitaLash Cosmetics and City of Hope, a leading cancer research and treatment center, launched the inaugural Gayle Brinkenhoff Symposium in an effort to further support and establish a forum devoted to a better understanding of BRCA-related breast cancer. This symposium, hosted at the City of Hope campus in Duarte, California, featured a dynamic team of leading experts from influential cancer research and treatment centers throughout the country.
BRCA is a simple acronym for a complex cellular process, with life changing implications. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations occur in one of the critical DNA repair pathways of human cells. These mutations, which are passed down through families, significantly increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer in their recipients. The Gayle Brinkenhoff Symposium is envisioned as a pivotal opportunity for research scientists to share their latest findings with one another, to collaborate with other health care professionals, and to discuss concepts for future research possibilities. Through this cooperative process, new ideas and eventual breakthroughs can evolve.
As a proud underwriter of the Gayle Brinkenhoff Symposium Series, RevitaLash Cosmetics continues to demonstrate its unwavering dedication to learning more about this disease, with the goal of ultimately finding a cure. Motivated by his courageous wife, Gayle, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 32, Dr. Michael Brinkenhoff, the founder of the company, developed the groundbreaking cosmetics brand, RevitaLash. Through continued support of cancer research and educational initiatives, RevitaLash Cosmetics is able to continue carrying on her legacy.
“My wife Gayle spent over a decade fighting metastatic breast cancer before she discovered the underlying reason for her disease was a BRCA mutation,” explained Dr. Brinkenhoff. “Our family’s greatest hope is that this symposium will be a valuable tool to better understand and treat this disease, and will serve as a memorial to someone who exemplified courage, compassion and grace throughout her life.”
The day-long conference was devoted to scientific breakthroughs in all areas of genetic-related breast cancer research and care. Doctors and scientists from some of the country’s most prestigious research institutions covered the complex issues involved in gene damage and repair in breast cancer, including advances in molecular oncology, new targets in DNA repair, personalized breast cancer therapy, risk assessment screening tools and registries, and the ethical and legal complexities of genetic testing.
The knowledge gained and shared between researchers will ultimately benefit patients. Through its sponsorship of this and future symposiums, RevitaLash Cosmetics and City of Hope stand at the forefront of a new era of cancer genetics research, helping to empower families who carry BRCA1/2 gene mutations and save lives.
For more information on RevitaLash Cosmetics, please visit www.revitalash.com.
For more information on City Of Hope, please visit www.cityofhope.org.
