Ask The Genetic Counselor: Does Genetic Testing Ever Have to be Redone?
You may have had geneticInherited characteristics. testing done in the past, and while your DNAThe part of every cell that carries out genetic information on cell growth, division, and function. does not change, technology and scientific understanding continue to evolve. For individuals who have previously been tested, it is appropriate to follow up with a genetic counselor every few years...
Beyond BRCA: Expanded Gene Panel Testing
When a healthcare provider suggests genetic testing for a personal or family history of breast cancer, they may say “BRCA testing.” However, this term doesn’t capture the full scope of what genetic testing offers today. The first BRCA tests, introduced in 1996, were...
What is the difference between genetic and genomic testing?
As a genetic counselor, I talk about genetic testing with individuals who have a personal or family history of cancer. We discuss the chance that their cancer or their relative’s cancer might be inherited, and review the option of testing to determine if they carry an...
Family Legacies: Hereditary Breast Cancer in Hispanic Women
Knowledge about family history of breast, ovarian and other cancers can help individuals be proactive, prevent cancer, and increase early detection screening, when treatment is minimal. Cancer is usually not an inherited condition. However, approximately 10% of all...
BRCA Gene Testing: What African American Women Need To Know
What are BRCA1A gene which, when damaged or mutated, can put a person at a greater risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. & BRCA2A gene which, when damaged or mutated, may put a woman at a greater risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. This gene is also thought to raise the risk for breast cancer in men. Genes? While every woman has about a 12% risk to develop breast cancer, the risk is higher when a woman has a variation in a certain geneA sequence in the DNA which can be passed down from parent to child. Genes helps determine physical and functional traits for the body.. In the mid 1990’s, researchers found that mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase a woman’s,...
How To Talk To Your Family About Genetic Testing For BRCA & Breast Cancer
With the holidays right around the corner, now is an opportune time to talk to far-flung relatives about breast cancer, other hereditary cancers, BRCA and any genetic testing your relatives may have received. Between a difficult diagnoses and the public nature of a...