Surviving Cancer

Cancer Genetic Counseling

Have you ever wondered whether the cancers in your family are hereditary? Are you concerned about your risk of developing another cancer or your family members’ risks for developing cancer? The Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at Yale Cancer Center is available to help address these questions.

The Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at the Yale Cancer Center:

Provides information about hereditary cancer syndromes and the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Determines the likelihood that the cancers in a family are hereditary.
Coordinates genetic testing and provides accurate interpretation of genetic test results.
Discusses options for early detection of cancer and risk reduction based on personal and family history and genetic test results.

Additional information about our program is also available on our website: www.yalecancercenter.org/genetics

Is genetic counseling right for you?

If you have a personal and/or family history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal and/or pancreatic cancer and you meet any of the following criteria, you may wish to consider genetic counseling:

There is a diagnosis of breast cancer before age 45 in your family.
There are multiple close family members on the same side of the family who have been diagnosed with any of the above cancers.
There is a family history of breast cancer and at least one family member with ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, or pancreatic cancer.
There is at least one individual in your family who has been diagnosed with two or more separate occurrences of the cancers listed above.
There is a man in your family who has had breast cancer.
You are of Jewish ancestry and have a personal and/or family history any of the cancers listed above.

If you have a personal and/or family history of colon polyps and/or colon, uterine, ovarian, other gastrointestinal (rectal, stomach, small bowel), and/or urinary tract (ureter, bladder) cancer and you meet any of the following criteria, you may wish to consider genetic counseling:

There is a diagnosis of colon or uterine cancer before the age of 50 in your family.
There are multiple close family members on the same side of the family who have been diagnosed with any of the above cancers.
You and/or a close family member has had multiple and/or early-onset colon polyps (adenomatous, hamartomatous, or juvenile).
There is a family history of related cancers, tumors, and/or physical findings (colon/uterine/ovarian/gastrointestinal/urinary tract cancer or colon cancer/polyps/desmoid tumors/osteomas).
There is at least one individual in your family who has been diagnosed with two or more separate occurrences of the cancers listed above.
You and/or a family member have had a rare or unusual tumor or physical finding (including even one sebaceous carcinoma or adenoma).
Specialized tests on your colon tumor demonstrated that your tumor is more likely to be due to a hereditary cause.