Hagenlockers Invest in Future of Cancer Genetics at Beaumont

While the exact cause of cancer is unknown, approximately five to 10 percent of cancers are thought to be strongly related to an inherited gene mutation. This makes Beaumont Health’s cancer genetics program, and its ability to help predict and potentially guide treatments, a critical part of oncology care.

Philanthropic support from Ed and Sylvia Hagenlocker has played a large role in making the life-changing program what it is today. Most recently, the couple gave a gift of $1 million, bringing their total giving to nearly $2 million for the Sylvia and Edward Hagenlocker Cancer Genetics Research and Program Support Fund at Beaumont.

“We are so pleased to be able to continue our support for this outstanding program,” said Sylvia Hagenlocker. “Under the leadership of Dr. Dana Zakalik, this program has grown and evolved in ways that we know have made a difference for patients. It is incredible to see the way genetic science has transformed care. We feel fortunate to be part of it.”

Over the past decade, the Hagenlockers’ philanthropy has supported general operations, physician salaries, research and technology, all of which allow clinicians to provide guidance and care to an average of 2,200 patients each year from throughout metro Detroit as well as from Monroe, Washtenaw, Livingston, Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair and Macomb counties, with some patients also coming from out of state.

Their giving has empowered individuals whose genetic make-up has made them vulnerable to disease and is supporting research that has the potential to transform oncology treatment, both at Beaumont and across the country.

The cancer genetics team works with patients to determine if there is a genetic predisposition in their family, if their risk of cancer can be lowered, what any implications of risk-reducing interventions might be to their health and if there are any specific targeted treatments. Since 2005, more than 15,000 individuals with a suspected hereditary predisposition to cancer have been evaluated, and more than 2,000 gene carriers at high risk for breast, colon, ovarian and other cancers have been found.

Beyond diagnosis and potential early interventions, the cancer genetics program has begun to tailor medical treatment to individual tumor characteristics. Known as precision medicine, this innovative approach to treating cancer allows doctors to select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease. This area of cancer genetics is continually growing and is playing an invaluable role in improving outcomes for patients.

The Hagenlockers’ support will allow the program to continue offering these life-changing services and to maintain its reputation for excellence. Looking forward, Dr. Zakalik hopes to expand her research programs, including surveillance of pancreatic cancer, improving breast imaging, enhancing decision-making analysis and expanding services to minority and underserved populations.

“The cancer genetics program at Beaumont would not exist as it does today without the generosity of the Hagenlockers,” said Margaret Cooney Casey, president of the Beaumont Health Foundation. “They are truly changing the future for so many families, and we are so grateful for their compassion and support.”