11-03-2026

PALB2 at 20 – should we now call it “BRCA3”?

Marc Tischkowitz is the Head of Department of Genomic Medicine at the University of Cambridge and Lead Physician for the East Anglian Cancer Genetics Service. He has been an author on over 350 publications with a focus on cancer syndromes and hereditary breast cancer predisposition. Beyond this, his interests cover all areas of hereditary cancer with an emphasis on translating the recent advances in genomics technology into clinical practice.

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the discovery of PALB2 and much progress has been made over the last two decades. It is now a well-established cancer susceptibility gene and is included as a key gene in cancer panels. Cancer risks have been reasonably well characterised and clinical guidelines have been established. However, PALB2 is still relatively unknown to non-geneticists and PALB2 carriers often have not benefitted from trials offered to BRCA1/2 carriers. Could we be making better progress by calling it BRCA3?

Registration: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7629142200961618520