Up to 10% of cancers are related to an inherited cancer condition caused by a mutation, or a difference in the DNA code that can be passed down from parents to children.
About Genetic Counseling
Having an inherited cancer syndrome increases your risk of developing certain types of cancer. Understanding if you have a hereditary cancer condition allows your medical team to better understand your personalized cancer risks. This knowledge helps them utilize different screening and prevention strategies to detect cancer in its earliest stages and/or to prevent cancer from occurring at all.
Some reasons a person may be referred for genetic counseling include:
- Diagnosis of cancer at a young age.
- Diagnosis and/or a family history of certain type of cancers, such as breast, ovarian, pancreatic, or colon.
- A relative found to have an inherited cancer condition.
- Diagnoses of multiple types of cancer.
- Multiple family members diagnosed with the same, or related, types of cancer.
- Rare or unusual types of tumors.
- Ten or more colon polyps.
What happens at a genetic counseling appointment?
During the appointment, one of our genetic counselors will:
- Review your personal and family health history.
- Assess your chance to get certain types of cancer as well as the chance of an inherited cancer condition in your family.
- Discuss the option of genetic testing with you.
- Explain how genetic conditions are passed down in families.
- Provide information about genetic conditions and assist with referrals to medical specialists, support networks, and other resources.
- Assist you and your physicians in determining if you should be doing increased cancer screening.
Preparing for your appointment
Preparation for your visit will help to us to determine the best plan for you. We use the following information to decide whether testing is needed, to select the most helpful genetic test for you, and to plan for future cancer screening.
Before your visit, please collect the following:
- Your personal cancer screening history (dates and results from your last colonoscopy, mammogram, etc).
- Family health history (including specific types of cancer and ages of diagnosis) for children, siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, and first cousins.
- If a relative has had positive genetic testing, a copy of the relative’s test report.
Frequently asked questions
Will my insurance cover genetic counseling and genetic testing?
In general, if you have coverage to see a specialist at Mission Cancer + Blood, you will have similar coverage to be seen by our genetic counselors.
It is recommended you verify that genetic testing is a covered benefit through your insurance prior to your appointment. Coverage for specific genetic testing often depends on information collected during our visit.
I’ve had genetic testing in the past. Do I need to have genetic counseling again?
Our understanding of cancer genetics changes over time. With the identification of new cancer genes and developments in testing technology, some people who had “negative” (normal) genetic testing in the past may be recommended to consider updated testing. Updated testing may identify genetic mutations that prior testing would have missed.
Do I have to have genetic testing at the appointment?
During the genetic counseling visit, we will have a personalized discussion about possible benefits and risks of genetic testing, and potential impacts for you and your family members. You get to decide whether genetic testing is right for you.
How long does the appointment take?
Appointments are scheduled for one hour.
What about insurance discrimination and confidentiality?
A federal law called the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) helps protect you against genetic discrimination. GINA states that employers and health insurance cannot use genetic information against you.
GINA does not cover individuals with Tricare military health insurance, veterans who receive care through the Veteran’s Administration, the Indian Health Service, or federal employees who receive care through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plans. However, these policies have protections against genetic discrimination in place similar to GINA.
GINA also does not protect you from discrimination in life insurance, long-term care insurance, or disability insurance.
Do I need a referral to schedule a genetic counseling appointment?
No, a referral is not required to schedule a genetic counseling appointment.
While some individuals self-refer for genetic counseling, many are referred by their healthcare providers. A referral is not always required, but it can be helpful for insurance purposes and to ensure the genetic counselor has necessary medical information.
Contact
To contact our Genetic Counseling team call 515-237-7094. The fax number is 515 235-8372. For more information visit the UIHC Genetic Counseling FAQ page.
Meet our team
At Mission, genetic counselors are members of your care team that guide you through the genetic testing process, ensuring you understand if genetic testing is appropriate for you and how results may impact you and your family members.