Genetics

Genetic testing for cancer survivors may play a critical role in helping avoid a second primary cancer or it may help prevent family members from developing cancer.

Cristi Radford, MS, CGC, from the Sarasota Memorial Hospital, discusses examining cancer gene panels using next generation sequencing for patients with ovarian cancer.

A thorough personal and family history is the key to determining which patients are candidates for genetic counseling and testing.

Colon cancer is equally as likely as breast and ovarian cancer to be hereditary (approximately 10% of cases, overall) and there are many different genes responsible for these cases.

Mary Gullatte, President, Oncology Nursing Society, Discusses Cancer Genetic Counseling.

Detecting hereditary cancer and providing genetic counseling can help prevent a new primary cancer and may also help to protect family members from developing cancer.

If you saw a patient who was under 50 and had breast, colon, or ovarian cancer, what course of action would you recommend?

Although genetic testing for cancer susceptibility is a simple process of blood sampling, the interpretation of the results may be rather complicated.