For Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is hosting the BRCA Network's exhibition "A Matter of Opinion". It will be on display in the foyer of the DKFZ main building from October 4 to 19.
The traveling exhibition presents touching photographs of 17 women telling their stories of dealing with familial breast and ovarian cancer. The images are by photographer Tamara Pribaten and have been published in an illustrated book by the BRCA Network. In the winter of 2022, the exhibition was already on display at the NCT Heidelberg.
The protagonists of the illustrated book show how they deal with the knowledge of the risk of the disease and describe their decisions, for example, on prophylactic measures or intensified early detection. The traveling exhibition aims to allow affected women and families to identify with the photographs and stories of the protagonists or to approach the topic cautiously. The exhibition intends to support the development of personal life perspectives in the case of hereditary cancer risk and, above all, to alleviate fears and be an individual decision-making aid.
Every year, 75,000 women develop breast cancer and 8,000 ovarian cancer in Germany. The cause usually remains unclear, but for about one-fifth of those developing the disease, it turns out they have a genetic mutation, for example, in the BRCA genes (BReast CAncer), which can also be passed on to their children. Therefore, cancer occurs much more frequently and often at a very early age in affected families.
The association BRCA-Netzwerk - Hilfe bei familiärem Brust- und Eierstockkrebs e.V. (BRCA Network - Help for Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer) was founded in 2010 as a representation of those affected themselves. The goal is to offer easily accessible exchange and information opportunities. The association works in cooperation with the Deutsches Konsortium Familiärer Brust- und Eierstockkrebs (German Consortium of Familial Breast and Ovarian Cancer and is supported by the Stiftung Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid Foundation). The network provides information and advice at specialist events and patient information days.