Most cancers happen by chance and are not passed down from
generation to generation. However, in a small number of families cancers may
be due to specific genetic factors. Identifying these genetic traits can be
beneficial in terms of assessing the risk of an individual developing cancer
and providing appropriate medical options to prevent cancer or reduce the risk
as much as possible.
The Cancer Center at Capital Region Medical Center offers hereditary
risk assessment and genetic testing for hereditary:
Breast cancer
Ovarian cancer
Colorectal cancer
Endometrial cancer
Who Should Be Tested?
If you answer “yes” to the following questions,
talk to your health care professional about hereditary risk assessment.
Do you have a family history of breast cancer diagnosed before
age 50 on either your mother or father’s side?
Do you have a relative, on either your mother or father’s
side, who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age?
Do you have a family history of colorectal cancer
or endometrial cancer diagnosed before age 50?
Do you have a family history of multiple Hereditary
Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC), related cancers in the same person
(such as two colorectal cancers or both colorectal and endometrial cancer)?
Testing Steps
Cancer risk assessment and education consultations take approximately
one hour to complete. The process includes a:
