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Cancer is unfortunately a common disease. Most cases of cancer occur by chance, with no clear risk factors. Sometimes, however, a person can inherit an increased risk for cancer. This increased risk is related to a gene mutation that can be passed down from generation to generation.
During your visit with us in the Cancer Genetics Clinic, we will:
- Ask about your health history.
- Ask about family history. This will include the ages of your relatives, if they had cancer, which type of cancer, and how old they were when they were diagnosed.
- Assess, based on your personal and family history, whether genetic testing would be useful for you or your family.
- Discuss the advantages and limitations of genetic testing.
Certain clues in a family history suggest there might be an inherited aspect to cancer. When we evaluate a personal and family history, we ask the following questions:
- Are multiple people in the family diagnosed with the same type of cancer?
- Are people diagnosed at younger ages than we might expect?
- Do we see individuals with multiple new and separate cancers?
- Is the family of a certain ancestry that would put relatives at an increased risk for having a mutation? (For instance, Eastern European Jewish families are at increased risk of having a mutation in a breast cancer gene.)
The types of cancer which can run in families include breast, ovarian, colon and uterine, but we see individuals in clinic who are concerned about any type of cancer in their families.
Click here to to make an appointment or ask us aquestions to learn more information. If you are unsure whether a genetic consultation would be appropriate, please ask your physician or contact us.
More info: Breast/Ovarian Cancer Genetic Testing
More Info: Colon/Uterine Cancer Genetic Testing
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