Who Should Consider Genetic Testing?
Who should participate in hereditary cancer risk assessment or genetic testing?
Approximately 5-10% of cancers are inherited. Changes in a particular gene can be passed down from a parent and are associated with a higher lifetime risk of cancer. Features suggestive of hereditary cancer include:
- An individual diagnosed with cancer prior to age 50
- An individual who has developed more than one cancer
- An individual with a rare type of cancer (triple negative breast cancer, ovarian, male breast cancer, aggressive prostate, pancreatic)
- An individual with two or more family members diagnosed with the same cancer
- A family member with an identifiable gene mutation known to increase the risk of cancer
- Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry with a personal or family history of cancer
- Families with a constellation of breast and ovarian cancers or colon and uterine cancers
- More than 10 colon polyps
- Rare tumors such as medullary thyroid cancer, paragangliomas, or pheochromocytomas
- Abnormal tumor testing (MSI, MMR deficient, genetic variants in tumor)
If you or your family have these features, it is important to review this information with your health care provider.