When it comes to cancer, does DNA determine your destiny? The Hereditary Cancer Program at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine can help you find out.
The Hereditary Cancer Program helps those who have a family history of cancer evaluate their cancer risk. Although many people have relatives who have had colon, breast or other common types of cancer, the majority should not be concerned that they are predisposed to these cancers simply because a family member had them. In fact, only an estimated 5 to 10 percent of all cancers result from hereditary factors.
Hereditary cancer is generally due to a mutation in a single gene that may be passed on along generational lines. People with this altered gene have a considerably increased risk of developing cancer.
“All cancer is linked to genetic changes in cells, but only a small fraction of cancers are hereditary,” says Alison Whelan, MD, clinical geneticist and director of the Hereditary Cancer Program at the Siteman Cancer Center. “Through the Hereditary Cancer Program, we are often able to identify a cancer predisposition syndrome and customize a potentially lifesaving management plan based on a person’s level of risk.”
What's Your Risk?
1. Examining the family tree—Your genetics counselor will take a detailed family history to see which of your family members had cancer, determine their ages at onset and whether they developed other types of cancer, and examine available medical records of those family members. <
Why? Hereditary cancers often occur at an earlier age, and people with a mutated cancer gene have a greater risk of developing more than one type of cancer. A complete family history and personal medical history help your counselor provide a rough estimate of your lifetime risk of developing cancer, so you can consider screening frequency and risk-reducing options based on your risk level.
2. Planning for a healthy future—You meet with a genetics physician and genetics counselor to assess your family-based cancer risk and discuss an appropriate plan to monitor your health. If a cancer risk appears to be hereditary, genetic testing may be useful in mapping out a medical care plan.
Why? Statistics show—aside from taking measures to prevent the development of cancer—the best way to beat cancer is to detect it in its earliest stages. Regular screening is essential for individuals with increased risk of developing cancer.
A Patients Story:
“My mother was first diagnosed with a rare gastric cancer that had taken her father, two sisters and brother at young ages. My mother also had breast cancer, so my OB/GYN
advised me to undergo genetic testing through the Hereditary Cancer Program in November 2004. After testing positive for the E-cadherin gene—which placed me at high risk for an aggressive type of breast cancer and gastric cancer—I had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction and a total gastrectomy.
I felt as though I were on an emotional rollercoaster, but I never felt alone because a team of kind, informative people worked closely with me throughout the decision-making process. Both of my brothers have since tested positive for E-cadherin, one of them has already undergone gastrectomy, and the other plans to do the same. Thanks to the Hereditary Cancer Program, I look forward to watching my four children grow up and to spending many more years with my brothers.“ - Kathleen, a patient with the Hereditary Cancer Program at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
To learn more about the Hereditary Cancer Program at the Siteman Cancer Center, call 314-TOP-DOCS (314-867-3627) or toll-free 866-867-3627.