Genetic Counseling & Testing Services

Cancer genetic counseling is the process of collecting your detailed personal and family history, assessing your personal risk, and discussing your genetic testing options. Genetic tests are tests on blood and other tissue used to identify genetic disorders.

The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital offers genetic counseling and testing services to anyone with an increased risk of developing hereditary forms of cancer, including breast and ovarian (BRCA), colorectal (HNPCC, FAP), and others (Li-Fraumeni, Cowden, etc.). These services can help you identify if you are at increased risk genetically of developing cancer, enabling you and your physician to make important informed medical decisions about screening and prevention to reduce your risk.

Genetic counseling and testing services are offered to individuals and families as part of our comprehensive model of patient-centered care in collaboration with the Yale Cancer Center Genetic Counseling Program. Services are provided by a team of graduate-trained counselors who are certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.

• Multiple relatives on the same side of the family with the same cancer or related cancers e.g. breast/ovarian/pancreatic/melanoma; colon/uterine/ovarian
• Cancer at unusually early ages e.g. breast cancer younger than 45 years old or colon cancer younger than age 50
• More than one diagnosis of cancer in the same individual e.g. breast and ovarian cancer, or colon and uterine cancer in one person
• Rare cancers e.g. male breast cancer, medullary thyroid cancer
• A family history of a known altered cancer-predisposing gene

Consider genetic counseling if you have a personal and/or family history of:

• Breast cancer diagnosed before age 45
• Multiple cases of breast cancer on the same side of the family
• Ovarian cancer in a family with breast cancer
• Male breast cancer
• Multiple cases of pancreatic cancer on the same side of the family
• The combination of breast, ovarian, and/or pancreatic cancer on the same side of the family or in a single individual
• Jewish ancestry in combination with any of the above
• Jewish ancestry and even one case of breast or ovarian cancer (even in the absence of additional family history)
• Medullary breast cancer and triple negative breast cancer are over-represented in women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer

• Colon cancer diagnosed before age 50
• Multiple cases of colon cancer on the same side of the family
• The combination of colon, uterine, ovarian, urinary tract, and/or other gastrointestinal cancers on the same side of the family
• A single individual with colon and uterine cancer, more than one separate colon cancer diagnosis, or colon and ovarian cancer
• Even one sebaceous carcinoma
• A colon cancer in which screening tests (called microsatellite instability (MSI) and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC)) have indicated an increased risk for hereditary colon cancer
• Multiple colon polyps (adenomatous, hamartomatous, or juvenile)

Our genetic counseling program is broken up into three one-hour appointments with a genetic counselor.

Appointment #1: Your Family/Medical History

During your first appointment, you will meet with your genetic counselor will meet with you to provide detailed information about your four-generation family history and your personal medical history. This information will be used to determine which genetic tests are most appropriate for you. You can help your genetic counselor by providing as much personal and medical family history as possible.

Bringing the following information to your first appointment can help your genetic counselor determine the best genetic testing plan for you:

• If you have had cancer, a copy of your pathology reports. You may also have the reports faxed to us at (203) 764-8401 prior to your first appointment.
• Your family medical history, that of siblings, parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces/nephews, and cousins in particular.
• Your family's history of cancer. If anyone in your family has had cancer, bring information about the primary cancer site and their age at diagnosis. Pathology reports are also very helpful.
• Copies of other family members’ genetic test results.

More information about researching your family medical history...

Appointment #2: Cancer Genetic Counseling

• Whether or not the cancers in your family are hereditary
• The risks, benefits, and limitations of genetic testing
• Screening and risk reduction options
• Insurance pre-authorization by your genetic counselor
• Blood draw (if having genetic testing)

Appointment #3: Summary & Test Results

If you have undergone any genetic testing, your appointment will also include:

• A detailed review of your test results with your genetic counselor who will explain what the test results mean for you and other members of your family
• Additional options and/or recommendations for future cancer detection and risk reduction based on your results