BRCA Testing with JScreen Can Save Lives

When Orit Reisman Berliner was just 16, her mother, Zipporah Reisman, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Thankfully, her mom survived and has been in remission for more than 25 years, but the experience left a deep emotional mark. At the time, BRCA testing was newly discovered and not widely used —so it wasn’t discussed.

Years later, as a young mom herself, Berliner learned that two of her cousins on her mother’s side had tested positive for the BRCA2 mutation. She shared this with her OB/GYN, who encouraged her to get tested, too. Berliner tested positive, and thanks to that knowledge, was able to join a high-risk surveillance program.

At age 30, she began early screenings and eventually chose to undergo a preventative double mastectomy, reducing her cancer risk from 80 percent to just two percent. Her diagnosis prompted her mom — and then her father and three siblings — to also get tested. Her mom was confirmed as the carrier, and one of her three siblings were also found to carry the mutation — two out of four, a textbook example of the 50/50 genetic inheritance pattern.

With her mom by her side through the entire surgery and recovery process, Berliner’s personal journey became one of empowerment and advocacy. That experience ultimately led her to work for JScreen, a national nonprofit that provides accessible, at-home genetic testing and telehealth counseling services.

Berliner hopes to raise awareness about the importance of genetic screening — not just for those with a family history of cancer, but for anyone who wants the power of knowledge on their side. It’s a story of love, legacy, and how one mother’s battle helped her daughter (and her whole family) take control of their future.

For more information about JScreen, please visit www.jscreen.org.