Genetic Counseling

At Beacon Health System, our genetic counselor will work with you to help identify your cancer risks and how this could impact you and your family members. If you have a family or personal history of cancer, genetic counseling may be right for you. Genetic counselors help you make informed decisions about your healthcare by identifying risks and helping you understand how to protect yourself from those risks. A genetic counseling session may include:

• Review and discuss your personal and family medical history
• Discuss genetic testing options
• Identify possible genetic risks
• Create a prevention or early detection plan
• Provide information and support

Identifying Your Risk for Cancer and Reasons to Consider Genetic Counseling

Download Family Cancer History Form
If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, hereditary cancer genetic testing may be appropriate for you:

• Have you or a blood relative been diagnosed with cancer at <50 years old?
• Have you or a blood relative been diagnosed with more than one cancer?
• Have you or a blood relative been diagnosed with a rarer type of cancer, such as ovarian or pancreatic?
• Have multiple people on the same side of your family had cancer?
• Have any of your blood relatives been found to have a cancer gene mutation?

This is by no means a complete list. If you have questions about if you should consider genetic testing, please contact the oncology genetic counselor.