Roswell Park works to add genetic evaluation to their routine mammograms

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — In June of 2024, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Department of Cancer Genetics & Genomics had their first patient, and the department continues to grow.

“They don’t treat you like a text book, they treat you like a person and everyone is different in that regard,” said Mindy Haarmeyer.

Haarmeyer works at Roswell Park and knows firsthand the impact their care can have on a patient. She was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 35, and then at 36, she was also diagnosed with stage one breast cancer.

“It’s a lot of emotions, so I just finished colon cancer chemo, and now I gotta go do breast cancer,” said Haarmeyer.

With Roswell’s care, Haarmeyer has rung the bell not just once, but twice, and now she’s back at work full time, traveling and picking up things she had to put on pause during treatment.

“I got both cancers out relatively in the early stages, which is really good and now I’m just more in the surveillance mode for both of them,” she said. “So, I do scopes once a year for the colon and mammograms once a year, and then blood test galore.”

She said she did genetic testing for her own curiosity and in case she has children in her future. She also has some family history of cancer. Genetic testing was one of the things that helped doctors find her breast cancer.

“I did have two variances, the genetic counselor said to me and weirdly enough, both of them are related to colon cancer and breast cancer,” said Haarmeyer. “I really hope that more people do screenings and genetic testing because those are really good tools for anyone to have.”

“What we do that is completely unique and doesn’t exist anywhere in the country is we not only do this genetic testing, this genetic evaluation that helps us identify people in families who are in increased risk, but then we have a medical home we care for them after they’re diagnosed and we ensure that every family, every person who is at increased risk for cancer has the care prevention, cancer wellness care that they need and they deserve,” said Dr. Kenan Onel, chief clinical genomics for Roswell Park.

Onel said they’re hoping to one day change the idea of a cancer center being a place for treatment of disease to a place of wellness and a place of prevention.

“Our idea, our aspiration is that this program, this cancer risk, this cancer prevention program will in just a few years become bigger than Roswell itself,” said Onel.

The department looks for genetics and traits people are born with, but also modifiable risk factors such as diet, exercise and more.

Onel said they’re working towards a new initiative to integrate genetic evaluation into routine mammograms.

“I think if we succeed in doing that, that’ll be a game changer for our community because these women are coming to us anyway for their screening mammograms and if we can actually take advantage of their coming here, thinking about cancer risk to actually identify the women who are at increased risk, then we can just change their lives and we can change their families lives as well,” said Onel.

For more information about their department, you can visit their website here or call 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355).