Genes, cancer are ties that bind

December 7, 2007

Five months before she died of a rare form of stomach cancer, Sandra McNamara uncovered a devastating family legacy. Her illness was closely linked to a genetic mutation. She had it, and that meant her three sisters and their children might have it too.

McNamara picked up the phone and started calling relatives in Chicago, Boston and Denver. You need to know, she told them. This cancer is hereditary. Get tested. Find out if you’re at risk. (Chicago Tribune)