If you have a personal or
family history of cancer,
current medical guidelines recommend that
you have genetic testing to see if you
might be at an increased risk for the
type of cancer that might be inherited.
In other words, a risk that might
have been passed on to you from
your biological mother or father.
Imagine your DNA is like a book
containing all the instructions
for your body and its functions.
Sometimes changes or mutations can
occur in this book that increase
the risk of certain diseases,
including cancer.
Genetic testing is like reading that book.
It allows us to identify the mutations
that can be passed down through families.
It helps us understand if you have
an increased risk of developing
certain types of cancer.
Current methods allow us to test for many
different genes associated with risk
for cancer types such as breast cancer,
colon cancer,
prostate cancer, and others.
This is called the hereditary cancer gene.
Panel Testing is done using
a small sample of your blood
or saliva. This sample contains your DNA,
which will be analyzed in a specialized lab.
There are three possible results of
genetic testing, positive, negative and
a variant of uncertain significance
or Vus. A positive
result means a harmful change
or mutation was found.
This means you were born with an
increased risk to develop certain cancers.
It does not mean that you will get cancer,
just that you have a higher risk.
A positive result can also provide
important information to your relatives
who may want to get tested to see
if they are also at a higher risk.
A negative result means no
known mutations were detected.
Even though this negative
finding is reassuring,
it is possible that you are at an
increased risk for some cancers
that were not part of this test.
For that reason,
it is very important that you follow your
healthcare providers recommendations.
A variant of uncertain significance,
also known as Vus,
means that a genetic change was identified,
but there's limited information at this
time about the meaning of this finding.
Similar to a negative result,
you may still have an increased risk
for cancer based on family history.
You should discuss this with your doctor
for further screening recommendations.
There are some reasons that people may
decide not to pursue genetic testing,
such as concerns about discrimination.
There are laws such as the Genetic
Information Non Discrimination Act
known as Gina that provides some
protection from discrimination
based on genetic test results.
Gina applies to health insurance
and employment,
but does not apply to life,
long term care, or disability insurance.
Ultimately, it is up to you to
decide what is best for your health.
Remember, knowledge is power.
Identifying your hereditary cancer
risk early can make a significant
difference in your overall health.
It can serve as a guide for your
future healthcare decisions.
It also allows for a personalized
cancer prevention and cancer screening
plan for you and your family.
Knowing the story of your
DNA gives you a tool,
one that you can use to influence
your health over your lifetime.