Understanding Your Genetic Make-up
Can Help Your Health

Most cancers manifest without a known cause, but some are hereditary. Genetic counseling helps hundreds of patients determine their risk for diseases that can be inherited, including colon, uterine, breast and ovarian cancer. Any family with a higher than expected number of cancer cases, regardless of the type, would benefit from having a formal “Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment” consultation. Long Beach Memorial and Saddleback Memorial in California are proud to offer genetic counseling. To help you decide if genetic testing is appropriate, a genetic counselor analyzes family cancer patterns and environmental influences.

Genetic counseling prior to starting a family

Since a few childhood cancers can be hereditary, survivors of those types may want to think about genetic counseling before having children. This can help them understand the risks of passing the genetic defect onto their children and to explore ways to prevent that.

What is hereditary cancer and why is an assessment important?

Hereditary cancer is the development of cancer due to an inherited gene mutation (a change in a specific gene) that has been passed from parent to child upon conception. Providing a hereditary cancer risk assessment is essential to the precision of excellent cancer care, including breast care. Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessments are highly individualized. You will receive an accurate assessment of personal genetic risk and an individualized plan for cancer screening and prevention.