Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has announced a $30 million donation from the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation to create the Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center. The new center will focus on research, diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment for conditions linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
BRCA genes are responsible for repairing damaged DNA and preventing tumor growth. Mutations in these genes can raise the risk of inherited cancers such as breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers.
“We can help prevent harmful BRCA mutations from being passed down from carriers to their children and grandchildren and work toward ending the cycle of inherited cancer risk,” said foundation trustee Barry Cayton.
Trustee Andrea Goldrich Cayton added, “Our family has personally been affected by BRCA gene mutations, so we feel especially compelled to make a transformative mark in the healthcare space linked to holistic BRCA research and care.”
The Cayton and Goldrich families have supported Cedars-Sinai previously. In 2019, they contributed $10 million to establish the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai. This center was named after Jona Goldrich, a Holocaust survivor who became a well-known real estate developer and philanthropist in Los Angeles.
“Cedars-Sinai is truly humbled and honored by our continued visionary partnership with the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation,” said Peter L. Slavin, MD, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai and the David and Meredith Kaplan Presidential Chair. “They embody humanitarianism and hold a strong belief in science’s ability to transform healthcare and improve human life.”
Approximately one in 400 people in the United States carries a BRCA mutation. Men are less likely than women to be tested for these mutations, while female carriers have a higher chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Both men and women face increased cancer risks due to these mutations, though specific cancer types vary.
Certain groups—including those with Eastern European Jewish, Korean, Mexican, or African American backgrounds—are more likely to carry BRCA mutations. At present, there is no comprehensive clinical or research center dedicated to BRCA in Los Angeles that serves high-risk populations. Leaders at Cedars-Sinai say this new center will advance research, education, and clinical innovation.
“The Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center will offer patients personalized guidance and timelines for their care, including risk-reducing procedures, genetic testing, specialized screenings and reproductive medicine services to help break the cycle of genetic cancer risk,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Medicine and Health Sciences at Cedars-Sinai. “We will develop a hub of translational discovery science devoted to eradicating the cellular underpinnings of BRCA mutations.”
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is located in Los Angeles. Founded in 1902 (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/), it is led by President Thomas M. Priselac (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/about/leadership/thomas-priselac.html). The hospital also serves as a training facility with pediatric wards; according to its 2022 annual report (https://www.cedars-sinai.org/content/dam/cedars-sinai/about-us/documents/annual-report-2022.pdf), it admitted over 50,000 patients that year.
