Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Professor, Department of Clinical Genetics
Former Chair, Department of Clinical Genetics
Director, Risk Assessment Program
Timothy R. Talbot Jr. Chair in Cancer Research
NCCN, Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Panel Member
NCCN, Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel Member
NCCN, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast and Ovarian Panel Member
Clinical Genetics; breast cancer; Risk Assessment; chemoprevention research; family risk assessment and genetic testing; epidemiology; gynecologic cancers
I consider it an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to accompany my patients on their cancer journey. I am allowed to witness their strength and courage, to be exposed to the devotion of their families and friends, and to become part of their lives in a very special way.
By extending this care to family members through the risk assessment program, we can work together towards the reduction of risk and prevention of cancer. I like to approach every patient encounter as a mutual learning experience. It is an opportunity for me to share with each patient the latest information about their cancer and treatment or their cancer risk, and give them the tools they need to make informed decisions.
It is also an opportunity for them to teach me something about themselves, about their lives and families, and how they cope with illness and promote their own health. I always feel both drained and enriched after a day in clinic.
Jane Tervooren knows all too well how precious life can be. As the marketing director of one of the largest fertility practices in New Jersey, she watches women who struggle with getting pregnant and who want nothing more than to experience the miracle of childbirth. She also knows how fragile life can be after losing her mother and grandmother too soon to ovarian cancer.
Jane's mother was successfully treated for breast cancer when she was 49, but 14 years later lost her life to ovarian cancer. Jane's grandmother also lost her battle with ovarian cancer at the age of 53.
If you think breast cancer is only diagnosed in stages I, II, III or IV, think again. Deena Damsky Dell, MSN, RN-BC, AOCN(R), can tell you, "Stage 0 breast cancer is really cancer."
After an extensive career in nursing education and oncology critical care, Fox Chase recruited Deena in 2000 as a full-time clinical nurse specialist and director of the RN Graduate Transition Program, where she trains new nurses in oncology.
In 1999, Deborah Davis Huberfeld and her husband, Stan, were busy running their own businesses and raising a pair of toddlers, Sarah (4) and Jesse (18 months). Not long after Stan sold his printing business and started working for the new owners, their lives turned upside down. Deborah noticed a bruise on her breast that wouldn’t go away, but there was no lump. “I had ropey breasts so I didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary,” she said.
Amy Dysart's family had a history of breast cancer. In 1991, she was invited to join the newly formed Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. She was also tested twic e to see if she carried the BRCA mutation that would predict an occurrence of breast cancer later in life. However, Amy tested negative both times, and she wanted answers. After joining an organization called Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), Amy met other women in her same situation. Eventually, through further testing and genetic counseling, Amy learned that although she did not carry the particular gene mutation doctors can test for, there was probably another, unidentified gene mutation that ran in her family. At the age of 42, when she was not going to have any more children, Amy made the difficult decision to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy and reconstruction to prevent her from getting breast cancer. "I continue to be an active participant in the Risk Assessment Program. I’ve learned so much through the program, and it’s totally changed my outlook on cancer," she said. "I follow up each year and hope to help other women who are in my situation."
The Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase looks at your personal and possible inherited genetic factors that may put you at higher possibility for getting cancer. We comprehensively examine your profile for all cancer types, including — but not limited to — breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, prostate cancer, and melanoma. Knowing your risk helps you learn what you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer.
The Department of Clinical Genetics is built on the success of Fox Chase's Margaret Dyson Family Risk Assessment Program (now Risk Assessment Program), which Dr. Mary Daly began in 1991. A high-risk screening clinic was developed for individuals with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. In addition to the clinic, genetic counseling was provided for both high risk and breast and ovarian cancer patients. As the clinic developed, it became clear that it was important to provide consultations for biopsy findings that put women at increased risk. Since then, Fox Chase has expanded risk assessment services to those at high risk for all cancers.
Pal T, Agnese D, Daly M, La Spada A, Litton J, Wick M, Klugman S, Esplin ED, Jarvik GP, Professional Practice G. Points to consider: is there evidence to support BRCA1/2 and other inherited breast cancer genetic testing for all breast cancer patients? A statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Genetics in Medicine, 22(4):681-5, 2020.
Houghton LC, Knight JA, Wei Y, Romeo RD, Goldberg M, Andrulis IL, Bradbury AR, Buys SS, Daly MB, John EM, Chung WK, Santella RM, Stanczyk FZ, Terry MB. “Association of Prepubertal and Adolescent Androgen Concentrations With Timing of Breast Development and Family History of Breast Cancer”. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Feb 1;2(2):e190083. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0083. PMID: 30794303
Terry MB, Daly MB, Phillips KA, Ma X, Zeinomar N, Leoce N, Dite GS, MacInnis RJ, Chung WK, Knight JA, Southey MC, Milne RL, Goldgar D, Giles GG, Weideman PC, Glendon G; kConFab Investigators, Buchsbaum R, Andrulis IL, John EM, Buys SS, Hopper JL. “Risk-Reducing Oophorectomy and Breast Cancer Risk Across the Spectrum of Familial Risk”.J Natl Cancer Inst. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djy182. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:30496449
Nicolas E, Demidova EV, Iqbal W, Serebriiskii IG, Vlasenkova R, Ghatalia P, Zhou Y, Rainey K, Forman AF, Dunbrack RL Jr, Golemis EA, Hall MJ, Daly MB, Arora S. Interaction of germline variants in a family with a history of early-onset clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2019 Mar;7(3):e556. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.556. Epub 2019 Jan 24. PMID: 30680959; PMCID: PMC6418363.
Frost CJ, Andrulis IL, Buys SS, Hopper JL, John EM, Terry MB, Bradbury A, Chung WK, Colbath K, Quintana N, Gamarra E, Egleston B, Galpern N, Bealin L, Glendon G, Patrick Miller L, Daly MB. “Assessing Patient Readiness for Personalized Genomic Medicine”. Journal of Community Genetics, 10 (1), 109-120. Received: 26 June 2017 /Accepted: 18 April 2018 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-018-0365-5 EPUB ahead of print 5.29.18
Wolf SM, Scholtes E, Koenig BA, Petersen GM, Berry SA, Beskow LM, Daly MB, Fernandez CV, Green RC, LeRoy BS, Lindor NM, O'Rourke PP, Breitkopf CR, Rothstein MA, Van Ness B, Wilfond BS. “Pragmatic Tools for Sharing Genomic Research Results with the Relatives of Living and Deceased Research Participants”. J Law Med Ethics. 2018 Mar;46(1):87-109. doi: 10.1177/1073110518766024. Epub 2018 Mar 27. No abstract available.
Buys, S.S., Sandbach, J.F., Gammon, A., Patel, G., Kidd, J., Brown, K.L., Sharma, L., Saam, J., Lancaster, J., Daly, M.B. “A Study of Over 35,000 Women with Breast Cancer Tested with a 25-gene Panel of Hereditary Cancer Genes,” Cancer 2017 May 15; 123(10): 1721-1730. doi: 10l1002/cncr.30498.
Daly, M.B., Montgomery, S., Bingler, R., Ruth, K. “Communicating Genetic Test Results within the Family: Is it Lost in Translation: A Survey of Relatives in the Randomized Six-Step Study,” Familial Cancer 2016;15(4):697-706. (PMCID: PMC5010833).
Fox Chase Cancer Center
333 Cottman Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Professor, Department of Clinical Genetics
Former Chair, Department of Clinical Genetics
Director, Risk Assessment Program
Timothy R. Talbot Jr. Chair in Cancer Research
NCCN, Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Panel Member
NCCN, Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis Panel Member
NCCN, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast and Ovarian Panel Member
Clinical Genetics; breast cancer; Risk Assessment; chemoprevention research; family risk assessment and genetic testing; epidemiology; gynecologic cancers
I consider it an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to accompany my patients on their cancer journey. I am allowed to witness their strength and courage, to be exposed to the devotion of their families and friends, and to become part of their lives in a very special way.
By extending this care to family members through the risk assessment program, we can work together towards the reduction of risk and prevention of cancer. I like to approach every patient encounter as a mutual learning experience. It is an opportunity for me to share with each patient the latest information about their cancer and treatment or their cancer risk, and give them the tools they need to make informed decisions.
It is also an opportunity for them to teach me something about themselves, about their lives and families, and how they cope with illness and promote their own health. I always feel both drained and enriched after a day in clinic.
The Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase looks at your personal and possible inherited genetic factors that may put you at higher possibility for getting cancer. We comprehensively examine your profile for all cancer types, including — but not limited to — breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, prostate cancer, and melanoma. Knowing your risk helps you learn what you can do to lower your chances of getting cancer.
The Department of Clinical Genetics is built on the success of Fox Chase's Margaret Dyson Family Risk Assessment Program (now Risk Assessment Program), which Dr. Mary Daly began in 1991. A high-risk screening clinic was developed for individuals with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. In addition to the clinic, genetic counseling was provided for both high risk and breast and ovarian cancer patients. As the clinic developed, it became clear that it was important to provide consultations for biopsy findings that put women at increased risk. Since then, Fox Chase has expanded risk assessment services to those at high risk for all cancers.
Pal T, Agnese D, Daly M, La Spada A, Litton J, Wick M, Klugman S, Esplin ED, Jarvik GP, Professional Practice G. Points to consider: is there evidence to support BRCA1/2 and other inherited breast cancer genetic testing for all breast cancer patients? A statement of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG). Genetics in Medicine, 22(4):681-5, 2020.
Houghton LC, Knight JA, Wei Y, Romeo RD, Goldberg M, Andrulis IL, Bradbury AR, Buys SS, Daly MB, John EM, Chung WK, Santella RM, Stanczyk FZ, Terry MB. “Association of Prepubertal and Adolescent Androgen Concentrations With Timing of Breast Development and Family History of Breast Cancer”. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Feb 1;2(2):e190083. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0083. PMID: 30794303
Terry MB, Daly MB, Phillips KA, Ma X, Zeinomar N, Leoce N, Dite GS, MacInnis RJ, Chung WK, Knight JA, Southey MC, Milne RL, Goldgar D, Giles GG, Weideman PC, Glendon G; kConFab Investigators, Buchsbaum R, Andrulis IL, John EM, Buys SS, Hopper JL. “Risk-Reducing Oophorectomy and Breast Cancer Risk Across the Spectrum of Familial Risk”.J Natl Cancer Inst. 2018 Nov 28. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djy182. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:30496449
Nicolas E, Demidova EV, Iqbal W, Serebriiskii IG, Vlasenkova R, Ghatalia P, Zhou Y, Rainey K, Forman AF, Dunbrack RL Jr, Golemis EA, Hall MJ, Daly MB, Arora S. Interaction of germline variants in a family with a history of early-onset clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2019 Mar;7(3):e556. doi: 10.1002/mgg3.556. Epub 2019 Jan 24. PMID: 30680959; PMCID: PMC6418363.
Frost CJ, Andrulis IL, Buys SS, Hopper JL, John EM, Terry MB, Bradbury A, Chung WK, Colbath K, Quintana N, Gamarra E, Egleston B, Galpern N, Bealin L, Glendon G, Patrick Miller L, Daly MB. “Assessing Patient Readiness for Personalized Genomic Medicine”. Journal of Community Genetics, 10 (1), 109-120. Received: 26 June 2017 /Accepted: 18 April 2018 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-018-0365-5 EPUB ahead of print 5.29.18
Wolf SM, Scholtes E, Koenig BA, Petersen GM, Berry SA, Beskow LM, Daly MB, Fernandez CV, Green RC, LeRoy BS, Lindor NM, O'Rourke PP, Breitkopf CR, Rothstein MA, Van Ness B, Wilfond BS. “Pragmatic Tools for Sharing Genomic Research Results with the Relatives of Living and Deceased Research Participants”. J Law Med Ethics. 2018 Mar;46(1):87-109. doi: 10.1177/1073110518766024. Epub 2018 Mar 27. No abstract available.
Buys, S.S., Sandbach, J.F., Gammon, A., Patel, G., Kidd, J., Brown, K.L., Sharma, L., Saam, J., Lancaster, J., Daly, M.B. “A Study of Over 35,000 Women with Breast Cancer Tested with a 25-gene Panel of Hereditary Cancer Genes,” Cancer 2017 May 15; 123(10): 1721-1730. doi: 10l1002/cncr.30498.
Daly, M.B., Montgomery, S., Bingler, R., Ruth, K. “Communicating Genetic Test Results within the Family: Is it Lost in Translation: A Survey of Relatives in the Randomized Six-Step Study,” Familial Cancer 2016;15(4):697-706. (PMCID: PMC5010833).
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12 PATIENT COMMENTS
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5.0
May 15, 2019
I have returned to this provider for a VERY long time because she exceeds all my expectations.
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5.0
May 14, 2019
[...] Dr. Daly, [...], and [...] make me feel comfortable and welcome at Fox Chase. It's a positive experience to be there - This is very different from most facilities.
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5.0
May 14, 2019
Dr. Mary Daly -> excellent care.
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5.0
May 12, 2019
Doctor Daly and the staff always give exceptional care.
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5.0
April 16, 2019
Dr. Daly & [...] are, excellent.
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5.0
April 15, 2019
I travel 4 hours - one way to see Dr. Mary Daly - That's how much I value her opinion of my health.
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5.0
March 05, 2019
I needed a needle biopsy and Dr. Daly had them work me in that afternoon.
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5.0
February 24, 2019
Dr. Daly is very caring & an excellent doctor. She is worth a two hour round trip commute, without a doubt!
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5.0
November 05, 2018
Dr. Daly is outstanding, experienced & compassionate provider.
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5.0
October 22, 2018
I'm extremely grateful for the privilege of having Dr. Daly see me.
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5.0
October 22, 2018
Dr. Daly and [...], RN are both outstanding. They are kind, compassionate & good listeners. I have much confidence in their knowledge & expertise.
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5.0
October 07, 2018
No stress, easy, secure.
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