Genetic Counseling & Testing

Cancer is now clearly understood to be a disease of abnormal gene function. Genes are segments of DNA that contain instructions on how to make the proteins the body needs to function. They govern hereditary traits, such as hair color, eye color, and height, as well as susceptibility (likelihood of being affected) to certain diseases, such as cancer.

Even if you were born with healthy genes, some of them can become changed (mutated) over the course of your life. This explains why most cancers are not inherited but arise from gene mutations you acquire during your life. The older you get, the more gene mutations you may accumulate. This is why cancer risk increases with age. In contrast however, cancers that are caused by inherited gene mutations tend to occur earlier in life.

Because cancer is such a common disease today, almost all families have at least a few members who have had it. Only about 5% to 10% of all cancers, however, are the inherited type. The cancer is not inherited, but the abnormal gene that can cause the cancer is what is inherited and is passed down from generation to generation.

Currently, there are 4 genetic tests available to evaluate if a person has inherited a mutated gene that might lead to the early onset of certain cancers. Those tests include:

• BRACAnalysis:  a genetic test for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
• COLARIS:  a genetic test for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC)
• COLARIS AP:  a genetic test for adenomatous polyposis syndromes
• MELARIS:  a genetic test for hereditary melanoma

Genetic Counseling & Testing at the Community Cancer Center

The Community Cancer Center offers genetic testing and counseling for the four cancer tests available. For more information, call (309) 451-8500.

To find out more about general cancer genetics information, please go to this helpful website.