The public awareness campaign in the Midwest includes outreach and education to physicians, television advertising, and public relations efforts geared to reach consumers and physicians. The campaign is focused in five states, specifically Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio, in order to reach women who may be at risk in these states, which have abundant healthcare resources. The advertisements, which are running on major network television stations across these states through the spring of 2010, were designed to encourage women to talk to their doctor if they have a family history and to let them know that there are steps they can take to reduce their hereditary risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The advertisements also direct women who want to learn more about their inherited risk for these cancers to visit www.bracnow or to call 1-800-BRACNOW for more information.

"The BRACAnalysis test provides potentially life-saving information to women about their inherited risk. By expanding the campaign to the Midwest, we have a valuable opportunity to provide this information to a significant number of high-risk women," added Critchfield. "The response we received from patients and the medical community to our previous campaigns has been overwhelmingly positive. This feedback reinforced our commitment to educate more women and their doctors about the risk of hereditary cancer."

Source: myriad