Medical Services
Genetic Counseling in the Elliot Health System
How do I contact a genetic counselor?
Prenatal Screening For Birth Defects
HEALTHY BABIES: EDUCATION SERIES
Common Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
-BRCA1/BRCA2: Hereditary breast/ovarian cancer syndrome
-Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)
Genetic Counseling
Common Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
BRCA1/BRCA2: Hereditary
breast/ovarian cancer syndrome
Cancer risks include:
- up to an 85% lifetime risk for breast cancer (compared with population risk of 12% lifetime)
- up to a 40% lifetime risk for ovarian cancer (compared with population risk of 1.5% lifetime).
Mutations pass equally from males and females, so paternal family history of breast and ovarian cancer is as important as maternal history when assessing risk.
Look for:
- premenopausal breast cancer
- ovarian cancer at any age
- bilateral breast cancer
- breast and ovarian cancer in the same individual or same family
Increased surveillance and prevention options include:
- annual mammogram, plus annual breast MRI
- twice-yearly clinical exam
- preventive mastectomy (optional)
- tamoxifen or other chemopreventive agents
- preventive oophorectomy after childbearing is finished
- oral contraceptives for at least 3 years for younger women
