Genetic Counseling and Testing
Comprehensive Genetic Risk Assessment for Cancer
If you have a family history of cancer, your genes may determine if you are at risk.
Our Genetic Counseling and Testing program is the only one of its kind in the region. We provide a genetic risk assessment for women and men who have a family history of cancer or are currently living with cancer.
When you are equipped with your cancer genetic information, you can make informed decisions about prevention, early detection and available treatments.
Can I Benefit from a Genetic Risk Assessment?
This is what we know about the link between genetics and cancer:
- Certain cancers run in the family. Research has shown a genetic link of up to 10 percent for certain cancers – breast, ovarian, colorectal and endometrial cancers among them.
- Non-hereditary factors such as age and past diagnoses or health issues can also influence a patient’s cancer risk.
- It is a combination of your personal history and your family history that is most informative when it comes to determining your potential risk for developing cancer.
How Knowing Your Genetic Information Can Help
Great progress has been made over the last decade in cancer genetics. We now offer a whole new area of therapies that were previously unavailable to prevent and treat cancers. The use of genomic testing for targeted therapy is a tremendous advancement in the treatment of breast cancer, as well as pancreatic, cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancer. This type of precision medicine uses information about your genes and proteins to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.Types of Hereditary Cancers
You may benefit from a genetic risk assessment of hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer if your health history or your family’s history includes one of the following:
- Any relative with a confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
- Breast cancer diagnosis at or before age 50
- Male breast cancer diagnosis at any age
- Ovarian cancer diagnosis at any age
- Two or more separate breast or ovarian cancer diagnoses in the same individual
You may benefit from a genetic risk assessment of hereditary colorectal cancer and endometrial cancer if your health history or your family’s history includes one of the following:
- Colorectal cancer diagnosis at or before age 50
- Endometrial cancer diagnosis at or before age 50
- Multiple colorectal polyps in the same individual
- Two or more separate diagnoses of colorectal, endometrial, ovarian or gastric cancer in two or more family members
How Genetic Counseling and Testing Works
Our Genetic Counseling and Testing program is designed to address your needs related to inherited cancer risk.
In one convenient visit, you’ll meet with several specialized cancer experts and a genetics counselor. We assess your individual and family risk and discuss screening.
Once you receive results, we offer individual and family genetic education and counseling, so you can make informed decisions about prevention, early detection and available treatments.
You may choose to have genetic testing, including tests for mutations in specific genes.
Next Generation Sequencing
Through next generation sequencing data of DNA and RNA, our experts can refine treatment decisions and establish more personalized and precise treatment plans in the management of both blood cancers and solid tumors.
Anthology Diagnostics, a new next generation sequencing lab, located at JFK University Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey provides state of the art genomic profiling to patients and their doctors throughout the network.
Our patients also have access to state-of-the art genomic profiling through a collaboration with Genomic Testing Cooperative (GTC) in Irvine, California.
Is Genetic Counseling and Testing Covered by Insurance?
Many insurance companies cover the cost of genetic counseling and genetic testing when medically indicated. Pre-authorization may be needed for some managed care programs.
Our Genetic Counseling Specialists
John Theurer Cancer Center provides Genetic Counseling and Testing for individuals who have a family or personal history of cancer, so they can make informed decisions about prevention, early detection and treatment.
