1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
Gene Test, Preventive Surgery Save Women's Lives Daniel DeNoon Laura Martin, MD Sean Swint
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Aug. 31, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The story was based on a research study in JAMA concerning women who may carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, which increase their likelihood of breast and ovarian cancer. The study determined that preventive surgery to remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and breasts did save lives. But this story also had a personal side: an interview with a woman who had to decide whether to get tested, and then when she found out she carried the gene, what to do next. The study came down on the side of preventive surgery, as did the woman in Dan's story. But the use of the personal story amplified the study, and Dan also clearly laid out, through the personal interview and expert sources, a path towards a decision, and the best way for woman in this grueling position to make an informed decision.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
JAMA study.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Personal interview, Maxine Grossman Expert interviews: Timothy Rebbeck, PhD, professor of epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Virginia Kaklamani, MD, DSc, director of translational breast cancer research, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University; associate professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; and oncologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
6. Results (if any).
Thousands of women have read this story since published, and it remains as a permanent document to help women make informed decisions about this terrible situation. The story is quite clearly a public
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
The appropriate use of patient stories and personal details is always a problem for journalists. They work best when they illustrate the emotional side of medical facts.