Breast Cancer Awareness Month will bring a candid conversation about breast health, genetics and early detection to Voorhees, with organizers hoping attendees leave feeling empowered to take a more active role in understanding their health.
Congregation Beth El will host “One Night With The Boobie Docs and Friends” on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. The free community event will feature Dr. Robyn Roth, a breast radiologist, author and creator of The Boobie Docs; Congregation Beth El Executive Director Tara Feiner, a BRCA2 previvor; and Shari Ungerleider, senior manager and head of education and outreach for jscreen.
The event will combine medical expertise, information about genetic testing and early detection, and personal experience in an effort to make conversations surrounding breast cancer risk more approachable.
“I hope people leave feeling informed and empowered rather than overwhelmed,” Ungerleider said. “There is so much information out there about breast cancer, screening and genetics, and it can be difficult to know what applies to you.”
Shari Ungerleider, senior manager and head of education and outreach for jscreen, will participate in “One Night With The Boobie Docs and Friends” on Oct. 8 at Congregation Beth El in Voorhees. Ungerleider will discuss hereditary cancer risk, genetic testing and the role genetic information can play in helping people make informed health-care decisions.
Ungerleider said Breast Cancer Awareness Month provides an opportunity to bring women and families together in an environment where they can comfortably ask questions and learn about their health.
The evening is designed to go beyond a traditional lecture, she explained, by combining several perspectives on breast health.
Roth, an associate professor of radiology specializing in breast and abdominal imaging in South Jersey, is known on social media as The Boobie Docs. Ungerleider said Roth’s ability to make serious health topics understandable and relatable made her a natural fit for the program.
“Breast health is important, but people shouldn’t feel afraid to talk about it or ask questions,” Ungerleider said.
One message organizers hope to address is the misconception that people without a strong family history of breast cancer do not need to consider their potential risk.
Family history is important, Ungerleider noted, but it is not the only consideration. The program will also distinguish between genetic testing and routine breast screening, which serve different purposes.
Genetic testing can provide information about inherited cancer risk, while screenings such as mammograms are intended to detect cancer.
Certain inherited genetic variants can increase a person’s risk for breast and other cancers, according to Ungerleider. Learning about an inherited risk can provide information for conversations with health-care providers about screening and risk-reduction strategies and can have implications for other family members.
“Genetic information can turn something that feels abstract into information people can discuss and act upon with their medical team,” she said.
That information will also take on a personal dimension through Feiner.
As a BRCA2 previvor, Feiner will discuss her own experience learning about an inherited cancer risk and the decisions that followed.
“We can talk about genes and hereditary risk from an educational standpoint, but hearing from someone who has received this information and had to decide what to do with it makes the conversation much more real,” Ungerleider said.
Feiner’s experience, she added, can help attendees understand both the emotional side of receiving genetic information and what knowing about an inherited risk before a cancer diagnosis can mean for an individual and family.
jscreen, a national nonprofit public-health initiative, will use the event to educate attendees about hereditary cancer screening and genetic counseling.
The organization provides at-home genetic testing. Participants complete a saliva test and return it for analysis, with genetic counseling available to help them understand their results and options.
Ungerleider stressed that the process is about more than receiving a test result.
“The goal isn’t simply to get tested,” she said. “It’s to understand what the information means and how it may help you and your healthcare providers make informed decisions.”
As part of the Oct. 8 event, jscreen will offer discounted genetic testing. Attendees interested in testing can use the promotional code 2026BOOBIEDOCS for an $18 upfront fee and pick up a testing kit at the event.
Ungerleider said providing testing at the event gives attendees an opportunity to act on what they learn while removing some of the barriers that can lead people to postpone testing.
But genetic testing is only one potential step.
Ungerleider encourages people to learn about their family health history, share that information with their health-care providers and ask what breast screening may be appropriate for them. Those with questions about personal or family history can also discuss whether genetic testing should be considered.
The event is not limited to people who already know they have a family history of cancer.
“Anyone interested in learning more about breast health, early detection and hereditary cancer risk can benefit,” Ungerleider said.
Making the program free and open to the public was also intentional.
“Health education shouldn’t stop at the doors of one organization or congregation,” Ungerleider said. “Breast cancer touches families throughout the community, and information about prevention, early detection and hereditary risk should be accessible to as many people as possible.”
Ultimately, organizers hope that bringing experts and community members together will make subjects that can be frightening or confusing easier to discuss.
“Sometimes the hardest part is simply starting the conversation,” Ungerleider said. “When you bring people together in a welcoming community setting and combine credible medical information with personal stories and even some humor, these subjects can become much less intimidating.”
“One Night With The Boobie Docs and Friends” will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Congregation Beth El, 8000 Main St., Voorhees. The event is free and open to the public, with advance registration requested. Attendees are encouraged to wear pink.
