Fall 2025
By Kathy Clute
Between them, Wayland resident Donna Hale and her sister Nancy have been successfully treated for cancer five times. They were more susceptible to the disease because of a mutation in one of their BRCA genes. Mutations in BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 increase the risk of developing certain cancers, particularly of the breast, ovaries, pancreas, and prostate.
When Donna’s breast cancer was first discovered in 1999, routine testing for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes was not common. But after Nancy got breast cancer five years later and then was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, she underwent testing that revealed the genetic vulnerability. Donna immediately got genetic testing as well.
“I tell my sister that she really saved my life,” said Donna, a longtime Dana-Farber supporter along with her husband, John Donovan. “If she hadn’t had lung cancer, I would not have been tested, and they wouldn’t have found my ovarian cancer.” That cancer was discovered only when she underwent preventative surgery to remove her reproductive organs in 2020.
In gratitude for the care Donna received at Dana-Farber and concerned about possible cuts to the Institute’s federal research funding, she and John donated $1 million earlier this year to establish a research fund in support of The Mellen and Eisenson Family Center for BRCA and Related Genes. It will be managed by Judy Garber, MD, MPH, Susan F. Smith Chair and chief of the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention. Garber has been Donna’s breast oncologist.
The money will help revolutionize the treatment of BRCA-driven cancers by supporting three key priorities: development of a blood test to identify ovarian cancer via circulating microRNA (small pieces of genetic material) before symptoms appear; clinical trials of better, more precise treatments for patients with BRCA-related tumors; and research into how to reduce breast cancer risk in women taking hormones to offset menopause symptoms after prophylactic ovary removal.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes that help repair breaks in DNA, a process that is essential to prevent cells from growing and dividing uncontrollably and forming into tumors. Genetic testing is recommended for individuals with a known history of BRCA-driven tumors, but more than half of all people with BRCA mutations have no family history of cancer. Ovarian cancer, for example, is typically not diagnosed until a late stage because there are no screening tests and early symptoms can easily be mistaken for common conditions.
“BRCA is emblazoned on our frontal lobes because of Donna, Nancy, and our two daughters, so we wanted to support research that would benefit people with the mutations,” said John. “The science is so important, and we were anxious to help fund it.”