Jill Martin Urges Quick BRCA Genetic Testing

Today contributor Jill Martin says a quick spit genetic test detected her BRCA2 mutation — which she calls “saved my life” — after earlier mammograms and sonograms were clear; she was diagnosed with stage 2b breast cancer in 2023 and is now cancer-free after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Public-health programs such as Renown’s Healthy Nevada Project have offered large-scale, no-cost BRCA screening (about 63,000 Nevadans tested), identifying roughly 500 carriers and demonstrating population screening can find at-risk people without known family histories. Experts note BRCA1/2 mutations increase risks not only for breast and ovarian cancer but also pancreatic, prostate and melanoma, and can affect men, so results have implications across families. Clinicians recommend genetic testing for people with family histories, early-onset cancers, certain ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Ashkenazi Jewish), or relatives with pancreatic or prostate cancer. Martin and other survivors and celebrities, including Sheryl Crow, used TODAY’s Pink Power events to promote testing and awareness; Martin has launched “The Warrior Effect,” and Nevada Sen. Angie Taylor said learning genetic information empowered her.