Genetic Counseling and Testing
Learn how genetic counseling and testing can guide treatment and prevention for you and your family.
Understanding your genetic risk can help guide cancer prevention and treatment.
Our counselors provide testing, risk assessments, and education to help patients and families make informed decisions.
Most cancer is sporadic — occurring incidentally and when there is no family history of cancer. Sporadic cancer happens over time and is caused by acquired changes in a gene, meaning that the change in the gene developed at some point after birth and was not passed from a parent. Those acquired gene changes are believed to be caused by things that increase the risk of cancer, such as exposure to radiation, nicotine, alcohol, exposure to known carcinogens, or other lifestyle factors.
Sporadic cancer can occur in multiple family members due to environmental exposures that they have in common. However, about 5 to 10 percent of cancers are believed to be hereditary or caused by a genetic change known as a mutation passed down from one generation to the next.
OPTIONS
Hereditary Carrier Clinic
The Hereditary Carrier Clinic offers specialized care for individuals identified as carriers of genetic mutations associated with an elevated risk of developing cancer. Our genetic specialists provide a personalized approach to cancer risk management, focused on prevention, early detection, and informed decision-making. We adhere to the most current, evidence-based practices and follow nationally recognized guidelines and standards, which are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure the highest quality of care. Services provided through the clinic include:
- Risk-reducing strategies
- Lifestyle counseling
- Enhanced surveillance
- Genetic counseling & education
- Multidisciplinary referrals
Genetic counseling
Genetic counseling can help you assess your cancer risk. Knowing more about your genetic makeup can especially be helpful to people with cancer or who have a family history of cancer.
Our genetic professionals will ask you details about your personal history and your family history of cancer, including cancer type, age of onset, and relation to the affected individual. They will review how genetic conditions might affect you and your family, and the pros and cons of genetic testing. With the information provided by the genetics team, you will be able to decide whether or not you want to proceed with genetic testing.
If you do have testing done, we can help you understand your results. We will refer you to specialists, suggest treatment options, and connect you to advocacy and support groups.
Genetic testing
Inherited genetic changes cause approximately 5 to 10 percent of all cancers. If you suspect you’re at increased risk of developing cancer, genetic testing may be part of a plan to protect your health. The information allows doctors to monitor your health, and if signs of cancer emerge, they can act right away.
Resources for Genetics and Cancer
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network — Guidelines for Treatment of Cancer by Type (nccn.org)
- National Cancer Institute Fact Sheets — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes