Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment

Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment

Certain cancers do run in the family.  Research has shown a genetic link of up to 10 percent for certain cancers – breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers among them.  Non-hereditary factors, either independently or in combination with such genetic factors as age, multiple past diagnoses, or consistent health issues, can also influence a patient’s cancer risk.  It is a combination of your personal history with your family history that is most informative when it comes to determining your potential risk for developing cancer.

You may benefit from genetic risk assessment of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers if your and/or your family’s history includes the following:

• Breast cancer diagnosis at or before age 50
• Male breast cancer diagnosis at any age
• Ovarian cancer diagnosis at any age
• Two or more separate breast or ovarian cancer diagnoses in the same individual
• Any relative with a confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation