Every person is at risk for cancer, and each person’s risk is different. 许多因素影响一个人患癌症的风险, 包括遗传学, 性别, 年龄, 家族史和其他. 大多数癌症是偶然发生的, 或者可能与吸烟等生活方式选择有关, 不锻炼或吃不健康的食物. In some individuals, however, cancer develops because of an inherited genetic risk.
Cancer genetic counseling involves having a certified genetic counselor help you better understand how having a personal or family history of cancer impacts your own chances of developing cancer. A cancer genetic counselor will also evaluate the probability of a hereditary cancer risk in your family and coordinate genetic testing for those who choose to pursue this option.
对于那些已经被诊断患有癌症的人, results of genetic testing may help them make decisions about their treatment and/or understand their risk for other cancers. Knowing if your family has a hereditary risk of cancer can encour年龄 awareness and allow for personalized screening recommendations that may result in early cancer detection and cancer prevention.
谁应该去找癌症遗传咨询师?
Anyone with questions about the potential risk of developing cancer may benefit from meeting with a cancer genetic counselor.
If you or one of your close family members meets any of the following scenarios, then cancer genetic counseling may be helpful for you:
- 50岁以前确诊的癌症(尤其是, 但不限于, 乳腺癌, 结肠, 直肠, 前列腺或子宫)
- 卵巢癌在任何年龄被诊断出来
- 在任何年龄诊断出胰腺癌
- More than one family member with the same type of cancer
- More than one cancer in the same individual (can be the same type, 比如双侧乳房的乳腺癌, 或者是两种不同的癌症, 比如乳腺癌和卵巢癌, 或者结肠癌和子宫癌, 同一个人)
- 一种罕见的癌症，如男性乳腺癌或肉瘤
- A family member has tested positive for a mutation in a cancer gene (for example, mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene or a family member who has tested positive for Lynch syndrome)
If you have questions about cancer genetic tests results you have already received from a different health organization, 欢迎您来接受遗传咨询 圣弗朗西斯医疗系统癌症研究所.
遗传咨询过程中涉及到什么?
The genetic counseling process consists of up to two office visits: an initial consultation that typically lasts about 60-90 minutes and a follow-up visit for those who undergo genetic testing to review the test results.
Our genetic counselor will review your medical history, family history and draw out your family tree. 病人 will also learn the chances of the cancer being hereditary and who in the family may have an increased risk for cancer. The genetic counselor will also review information about the genetics of cancer risk, the pros and cons of genetic testing and options for cancer screening and risk reduction. Our genetic counselor will arrange genetic testing for those who choose to pursue it and provide information about ongoing research studies for those interested.
Genetic testing is not a required part of the genetic counseling process and may not be appropriate for everyone. You can still learn valuable information about cancer risk man年龄ment from a genetic counseling visit without pursuing cancer genetic testing.
Will My 保险 Cover Genetic Counseling and Testing?
Genetic counseling and genetic testing are separate charges. Saint Francis works with most major insurances for the initial cancer genetic counseling consultation. 你可能 request a personalized cost estimate from the Saint Francis Financial Counselors online 或者通过呼叫 573-331-5217选项2. Please ask for cover年龄 information “cancer genetic counseling.”
Cancer genetic testing is not performed at Saint Francis but is sent out to laboratories specializing in genetic testing. Our genetic counselor will work to find a lab that accepts your insurance.
How Can I Schedule an Appointment for 癌症遗传咨询?
A referral is required to be seen for cancer genetic counseling at 圣弗朗西斯医疗保健系统. If you have a Saint Francis provider, ask your provider for a referral to genetic counseling.
If your provider is outside the Saint Francis network, they can call 573-331-5690 to request a paper referral form be faxed to their office. If you have questions about how to get scheduled for cancer genetic counseling, you may call 573-331-5690.
见见我们的遗传咨询师
梅勒妮D. Baxter, ScM, CGC, earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the 密苏里-哥伦比亚大学. She earned her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling in 2009 from 约翰霍普金斯大学 in Baltimore, Maryland, through a joint program between the 国家人类基因组研究所 (NHGRI)和 Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 她通过了认证 美国遗传咨询委员会.
Baxter has more than ten years of cancer genetics experience, having previously worked in several prominent positions, including genetic results interpretation and report writing at GeneDx 和高级癌症遗传咨询师 InformedDNA. She was also previously a Clinical Cancer Genetic Counselor & 研究研究协调员 华盛顿大学Siteman癌症中心 在圣. 路易.
巴克斯特来自佩里维尔, MO, 现在和丈夫住在杰克逊, 迈克尔, 还有他们的两个小女儿. 她的爱好包括健身, 花时间在户外, 和家人一起看电视和电影，读书.
