Are You at Risk?
You have probably heard that family history plays an important role in
certain cancers such as breast, ovarian and colon cancer. You may even
feel a little safer learning that a gene does not run in your family.
With advances in genetics, prevention and early detection, everyone should
ask…am I at risk?
Take our Cancer Genetic Risk Assessment
- Have two or more of your close blood relatives had cancer?
- Has the same type of cancer occurred in more than one relative on the same
side of the family?
- Has any individual in your family had more than one type of cancer?
- Has cancer been diagnosed in a family member under 50 years of age?
- Has a rare cancer or tumor occurred in an individual or several individuals
within your family?
- Have two or more separate tumors occurred in the same organ in any family
member (for example, breast cancer in both breasts)?
If you answer yes to any of the above questions, you may want to consider
completing the
Family History Questionnaire to make an appointment at the Morgan Pressel Center for Cancer Genetics
with our Oncology Team. The Genetic Advanced Practitioner will take a
detailed medical and family history and construct a family tree. A comprehensive
assessment of risk and specific genetic risk assessment will be provided
to you along with recommendations regarding testing.
A genetic cancer risk assessment provides you with information regarding
your risk of cancer based on your personal and family history. You will
learn whether or not you are at increased risk, and most importantly,
what you can do about it. A genetic test may give you more information
about your cancer risk so you can make medical lifestyle choices accordingly-such
as increased surveillance and taking steps to reduce your risk. Research
now demonstrates that medical advances in technology allow us to offer
prevention and lifesaving approaches to high risk individuals. At the
center, we will help you in identifying individual genetic risk factors
and preventing cancer before it starts.