About Hereditary Cancer including answers to:

  • What is hereditary cancer?
  • What is genetic counseling and how can it help?

Some families seem to have more than their fair share of cancer.  Why does this happen?

For some families, the answer is in their genes.

It is estimated that over 1 million people in the United States carry a hereditary gene mutation that causes increased cancer risks.  However, fewer than 3 percent of them know it.

Clues to hereditary cancer are found in your personal and family history of cancer.  Informed Medical Decisions' (Informed) genetic counselors know how to understand these clues to help you decide if genetic testing could diagnose hereditary cancer in your family.

Take Informed's BRIEF HEREDITARY CANCER QUESTIONNAIRE to see if you are at risk for hereditary cancer.  If so, you should talk with a genetic counselor to learn more about genetic testing and your cancer screening (such as mammograms and colonoscopies) and prevention (such as taking a medication or having a surgery to reduce your cancer risk) options.

If you’d like to learn more about your options, you can SCHEDULE A TELEPHONE APPOINTMENT WITH A GENETIC COUNSELOR now.

After scheduling, you will need to provide your DETAILED PERSONAL AND FAMILY MEDICAL HISTORY online.

The genetic counseling process makes sure that you know your own cancer risks based on your family history of cancer. Whether you have hereditary cancer, or not, genetic counseling will help you and your doctor’s make the best decisions about your cancer screening and prevention options.

Informed's genetic counselors are available by telephone and will provide detailed information about:

  • The chance that the cancer in you or in your family is hereditary.
  • Genetic tests you can get to diagnose hereditary cancer.
  • The pros and cons of genetic tests.
  • Insurance coverage for genetic tests.
  • Your cancer risks, whether you decide to take a genetic test or not.
  • Cancer screening tests and prevention options for you and your family based on your cancer risks.
  • Research opportunities.
  • Resources for support.

THE TRUTH ABOUT GENETIC TESTING:

Genetic testing for inherited cancer risk…

  • Should only be ordered when it may provide risk information for an individual.
    • Most people do not have inherited cancer risk. In fact, less than 10% of all cancers are due to a gene mutation that is passed on in families.
  • Should only be ordered with the help of a genetics expert.
  • Is the only way to diagnose the exact cause of hereditary cancer in a family.
  • Is covered by most health insurance plans when a genetics expert confirms that the personal and family history show signs of inherited cancer risk.
  • Helps people with hereditary cancer make the most informed cancer screening and prevention decisions.

Through the telephone genetic counseling process, you can decide whether or not to have a genetic test for hereditary cancer.  If you decide to have a genetic test, your genetic counselor will guide you and your doctor through the genetic testing process. 

When your test results are available, you will talk with your genetic counselor again.  You will discuss the meaning of the test results, your specific cancer risks, and your cancer screening and prevention recommendations.

Whether you have a genetic test or not, your genetic counselor will write a letter to you and your doctors that will cover all of the information discussed during your telephone call. The information will help you and your doctor make the most informed decisions about your care.

 

To find out if you have hereditary cancer or if genetic testing could help you, SCHEDULE A TELEPHONE APPOINTMENT WITH A GENETIC COUNSELOR now.

If you don’t know if you’re at risk for hereditary cancer, take our BRIEF HEREDITARY CANCER QUESTIONNAIRE to see if genetic counseling could help you.

You can learn more about hereditary cancer, genetic counseling, and genetic testing at:

News

 

Following overwhelming support in the House and Senate, President Bush signed GINA (The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) in to law on May 21, 2008. Read a press release from the NSGC ( National Society of Genetic Counselors) here

 

The following is an outline of how the ACT provides protection from each type of discrimination:

Health Insurance Discrimination:

  • prohibit enrollment restriction and premium adjustment on the basis of genetic information;
  • prevent health plans and insurers from requesting or requiring that an individual take a genetic test;
  • prevent health plans and insurers from pursuing or being provided information on predictive genetic information or genetic services prior to enrollment – the time when this information is most likely to be used in making enrollment decisions;
  • covers all health insurance programs, including those regulated by the federal government under ERISA, state-regulated plans, Medigap, and the individual market.

     

    Employment Discrimination:

  • prohibit discrimination in hiring, compensation, and other personnel processes;
  • prohibit the collection of genetic information, and allow genetic testing only to monitor the adverse effects of hazardous workplace exposures;
  • require genetic information possessed by employers to be confidentially maintained and disclosed only to the employee or under other tightly controlled circumstances;
  • covers employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and training programs.

     

    (The summary above was prepared by the staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.)