It is important to identify families with a hereditary susceptibility to cancer because in many cases, they may take steps to reduce their risk or prevent cancer from occurring. Your doctor may refer you based on your personal or family history. Beaumont's
cancer genetics program provides patients with the most up-to-date information about hereditary cancer risk and guidelines for cancer screening and treatment.
When you visit Beaumont for your genetic counseling appointment, you'll receive:
- Detailed family history evaluations
- Risk assessment
- Genetic education
- Genetic testing
- Counseling services
- Information about cancer risk reduction and prevention strategies
These strategies have clearly been shown to lead to earlier detection of cancer, better treatment, and improved outcomes. Counseling sessions are a discussion of risk with no obligation to undergo genetic testing.
About 5 - 10 percent of cancers may be hereditary, or due to a damaged (or mutant) gene that is passed down from parent to child. Certain aspects of one's family history may be indicative of an inherited cancer predisposition. Identifying these
aspects allows us to assess an individual's risk of having a cancer predisposition mutation. This is a very important first step toward implementing vital screening and risk reducing strategies.
We work closely with physicians involved in the treatment and care of our patients; these include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiologists, primary care physicians, gynecologists, gastroenterologists, radiation oncologists and other health care providers.