Hollywood Red Carpet Hits Chicago Decoding Annie Parker Breast Cancer Awareness Film Benefit

Hereditary breast cancer is having its moment in the spotlight. In May, actress Angelina Jolie announced she’d undergone a preventative double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer after learning she carried a genetic predisposition to the disease that killed her mother. And earlier this month, the US Supreme Court ruled that BRCA1 and BRCA2 (commonly known as the “breast cancer genes” because carriers of mutated versions of these genes face an up to 90 percent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer) could not be patented, a decision celebrated by many in the hereditary breast cancer community. The geneticist who discovered the BRCA1 gene in the early 1990s, Dr. Mary-Claire King, said in an interview with the journal New Scientist shortly after the high court’s ruling, “I am delighted. This is a fabulous result for patients, physicians, scientists, and common sense.”

FORCE to Host Exclusive Screening of Feature Film in ChicagoDecoding Annie Parker benefit premiere will feature director Steven Bernstein and film inspiration Annie Parker  

Chicago, IL (Jun 24, 2013) – Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) is proud to host the Chicago premiere of the feature film Decoding Annie Parker. FORCE, the only non-profit organization devoted to helping those affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC), is hosting screenings of this major motion picture in five cities across the United States, beginning in Chicago on July 25, 2013.

TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQQRTrV1Tos

Decoding Annie Parker tells the true story of two remarkable women, Dr. Mary-Claire King and Annie Parker, each touched by hereditary breast cancer in her own way: Ms. Parker battles the disease and Dr. King’s genetic research leads to the discovery of the BRCA1 breast cancer gene.

Dr. King’s discovery changed the way many in the medical community approached breast cancer and provided solace to families who, generation after generation, lost their mothers, wives and daughter to the disease. Compared with people in the general population, individuals with a BRCA mutation and those with a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancers face many challenges, such as much higher likelihood of being diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, being diagnosed at a younger age, developing cancer more quickly and in more aggressive forms, and having a 50% chance of passing on a BRCA mutation to a child.

“The screening of this feature film in Chicago is a tremendous opportunity to educate people about the importance of knowing family medical history and speaking to a genetics expert if a pattern of cancer presents itself,” said Highland Park resident, Heather Fineman, FORCE Outreach Coordinator.

Steven Bernstein, director of the film added, “We’ve created a unique partnership between the entertainment industry and charitable organizations. Through this partnership, we hope to entertain, inform, educate and activate our audience, creating a campaign of goodwill and hope that will leave a lasting legacy.”

The film presentation is also sponsored by NorthShore University HealthSystem. NorthShore, headquartered in Evanston, IL, is a comprehensive, fully integrated, healthcare delivery system that includes four hospitals in Evanston, Glenview, Highland Park and Skokie. NorthShore’s Kellogg Cancer Center is a cancer treatment center offering comprehensive, compassionate cancer care and treatments for oncology patients and their families at three locations.

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