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The Impossibly Painful Choice

Emotional movie about "the breast cancer gene" will be shown Thursday night.

Emmy nominated film "In the Family," by filmmaker and Chicagoan Joanna Rudnick, will be shown and discussed this Thursday, October 7th. Several sisterhoods of local temples in cooperation with the Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders will be hosting this event. This is the first time this movie will be shown in the northwest suburbs.

This movie reveals the struggles and emotions that families deal with when someone carries the mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. According to the National Cancer Institute, "A woman's lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a harmful mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2."

The documentary explores Joanna's impossible decision: remove her breasts and ovaries or risk incredible odds of developing cancer. You'll also follow stories of other women with various ethnic backgrounds coping with this painful choice. The emotions of their family and friends will also be shared. Interestingly, men too can be affected by this gene mutation.

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I'm sure this movie will bring forth an incredible amount of inquiries, concerns and uncertainty regarding the subject matter. An expert panel consisting of a breast surgeon, a genetic counselor and someone affected by the gene will be there to answer questions.

The event is free to the public and will be held at Congregation Beth Judea in Long Grove at 7:30 p.m. For more information contact Taryn Brickman at 312- 357-4988

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As always, email me with any news, topics or ideas that you want to read about. Remember, I'd like to be the first to know! I can be reached at laurenbgpatch@aol.com.

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