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Pink Power Hour Sparks Ongoing Push for Genetic Testing Following Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Following Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one event from last month continues to make headlines and drive a surge in genetic testing across the country.
Last month, hundreds gathered at Rockefeller Plaza for Pink Power Hour, a record-breaking morning that marked the official start of the awareness campaign. The initiative, led by JScreen.org, a national nonprofit that provides affordable and accessible genetic screening, partnered with Myriad Genetics and the Mount Sinai Cancer Center to offer free hereditary cancer testing to anyone who registered on site.
According to Inside Precision Medicine, more than 350 people signed up in a single hour, setting a national benchmark for on-site genetic screening participation. Organizers say that momentum has carried beyond October, with thousands of families now requesting at-home tests in the weeks since.
“We’re proud to remove barriers and provide this opportunity during Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Dr. Matt Goldstein, CEO of JScreen. “That single morning demonstrated how one simple step can change lives.”
The event also featured Today show contributor Jill Martin, who shared her own journey with breast cancer and credited genetic testing for saving her life. Martin was diagnosed after learning she carried a BRCA gene mutation and has since become one of the country’s leading advocates for early screening through her initiative The Warrior Effect.
Dr. Elisa Port, Chief Breast Surgeon at Mount Sinai, echoed the message at the event, calling genetic testing “one of the most powerful tools we have for prevention.”
With support from NBC’s Today show, Myriad Genetics, and Mount Sinai, Pink Power Hour proved that awareness and action can go hand in hand. As the impact continues into November, experts say the event’s ripple effect is still expanding, inspiring thousands to take charge of their health before the year ends.
Sometimes saving a life really is as simple as a swab.
