Is Genetic Testing right for me?
Is Genetic Testing Right For Me?
Most cancer is sporatic
Most cancer is sporatic, which means that our genes break naturally with the food we eat, air we breathe, water we drink, radiation we are exposed to, and just the natural change of functions within our bodies. Our bodies are made to fight cancer cells from multiplying, but sometimes those functions aren’t able to overcome the tumor's rapid pace of multiplying.
We all have chromosomes that are made up of genes.
We all have chromosomes that are made up of genes. People normally have two copies of each chromosome - one inherited from their mother and one from their father. Our focus at Hope Abounds Cancer Network is cancer and our discussion on predisposed risks will focus around this topic. There are different types of inherited alterations that may occur in these genes that would predispose you to certain types of cancer. More genes are being discovered every year, as well as better therapies to help fight cancer if you have an inherited genetic alteration.
You as a patient could inherit an alteration from your mother or your father, oftentimes without them personally having cancer themselves. Some alterations are autosomal dominant, which means a child has a 50% chance of inheriting the alteration. Other alterations are autosomal recessive, which means that both your mother and father must carry the altered gene to pass it on to you. Within cancer, the majority of the inherited conditions are autosomal dominant.
About Inheriting a genetic alteration
Inheriting a genetic alteration from your mother or father doesn’t mean you will be diagnosed with cancer. Carrying a mutation means that your risks are substantially increased for certain types of cancer. An example of this is Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC), which is specific to BRCA1 & BRCA2 mutations. A patient is at an increased risk of being diagnosed with breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer if they carry this genetic alteration. Another genetic alteration is Lynch Syndrome. Alterations within multiple genes - MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2 and EPCAM - may increase your risk of cancer diagnosis within the following cancers: colon, endometrial/uterine, ovarian, stomach (gastric), renal (kidney), biliary tract, pancreatic, sebaceous ademonas, and brain cancer (specifically, glioblastomas).
Important to remember
Up to 10% of diagnosed cancer cases are genetic. If there are mutliple family members diagnosed with cancer in your family, then your personal risk may be higher.
Knowing your cancer family history is essential to understanding your risks and obtaining insurance coverage for gentic testing. (See our Cancer Family History Tool)
These answers are important to you and your health journey, as well as future generations to come. It is possible to take control of your health journey and make proactive choices with non-invasive screening, or possibly surgical procedures to virtually eliminate your potential risk of certain cancers. Future generations may also benefit from your results, as they can also take proactive measures.