Karen Starrett Belfer is an artist, an activist, and a survivor of ovarian cancer. During her treatment, she learned that one in 50 Ashkenazi Jewish women may carry the cancer-causing BRCA gene, in contrast to one in 800 among the general female population^*.

She also learned that many Jewish women are not aware of the BRCA gene or the threat it may impose on their lives. Now, Starrett Belfer plans to share her art and her recognition of this threat at an ovarian cancer awareness event to be held at the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center in Deal on Wednesday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m. The event is sponsored by the JCC and Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

Fourteen of her mixed media paintings, collectively called "Figurative Testimonials," are on display in the JCC's gallery through April 30; they reflect her own experiences with ovarian cancer, but it's the information about hereditary cancer that will take center stage that Wednesday.

It's information that could save lives, according to Starrett Belfer and Angela Musial Fay, a cancer genetic coordinator for Meridian Health, who will be at the April 25 event to explain how the BRCA gene affects women of Ashkenazi decent and provide information about genetic testing and related resources.

"Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is an inherited condition that causes an increased risk for ovarian cancer and early onset breast cancer," said Musial Fay during an interview with NJ Jewish News. "Most breast and ovarian cancer is due to an alteration or mutation in either the BRCA1 gene [ovarian cancer] or BRCA2 gene [breast cancer], which can be inherited from either parent."

When changes, or mutations, occur in our genes, certain cells can grow out of control and cause cancer, said Musial Fay, a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (she recently coauthored a series of recommendations and guidelines regarding risk assessment and genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer).

"We know it's possible to be born with a cancer-causing gene fault," she said. "This doesn't necessarily mean that you will get cancer, but it does mean that you are more likely than the average person."

However, genetic testing and genetic counseling can provide answers about an individual's risk of inherited cancers by analyzing genes for the mutations responsible for inherited cancer risk; the results enable one to make informed decisions about options for early detection and risk reduction, Musial Fay said.

The testing also provides important information for family members, especially close relatives; parents, brothers, sisters, or children may also have these mutations, she added.

"The most important thing about genetic testing is that it leads to options," Musial Fay said. "You have a chance to take charge and control your health care. You can become your own advocate."

After Starrett Belfer discovered the BRCA information and the lack of awareness among many Jewish women of Ashkenazi decent, she decided it was time to take action. She began to organize the ovarian cancer awareness event to help spread the word among people who need to know that they may be at risk.

"It's all about public awareness," said Starrett Belfer, an Ocean Township resident who was diagnosed with stage-three ovarian cancer in June 2003. After her diagnosis, she underwent surgery and chemotherapy and participated in a six-month clinical trial.

During her recovery, she read medical periodicals and discovered the information about the BRCA gene. She underwent genetic testing and learned that despite her bout with ovarian cancer, she does not carry the BRCA gene. But her research revealed that many Ashkenazi women have both the gene and the disease, and the statistics were frightening.

"After reading statistics about the rate of ovarian cancer in Jewish women, I was surprised to learn that the BRCA gene can be twice as high in Ashkenazi Jewish women," Starrett Belfer said. "What dismayed me about these statistics is that most Jewish women are not aware that we are at a higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer because of our Eastern European ancestry."

And she's surprised and disappointed that many Jewish doctors, researchers, and women's organizations have not generated awareness about the BRCA gene. As a result, she plans to do her part in spreading the word; she hopes her paintings become a platform that promotes awareness and enables women to voice their feelings about their own cancer experiences.

"Promoting awareness is the key," said Starrett Belfer. "‘Figurative Testimonials' and the information that Angela will provide can educate and persuade women who suspect something is wrong to seek diagnostic testing. If I can help just one woman get diagnosed in an early stage instead of a late stage, then my mission is accomplished and I am happy."