At UVA Health, you can tap the expertise of breast cancer genetic counseling. Our genetic counselors are specialists in their field and a valuable part of our breast cancer team. They are here to give you an in-depth consultation to discuss your family history of cancer.
This is important information to know not only for your own health, but for your children's health.
Why Get Genetic Counseling?
Genetic counselors can help calculate your level of risk for breast and other cancers. Genetic counseling can also give you information that you and your family can use to make decisions about whether to get genetic testing.
If your family history of cancer and/or results of genetic testing show you are at high-risk for cancer, you can be better prepared for the future.
We'll give you detailed recommendations for screenings for cancer. You'll know how often you should be screened and by what cancer teams. And this means, we can find any sign of cancer when it is easiest to treat and cure.
About Your Visit With a Breast Cancer Genetic Counselor
Before meeting with a genetic counselor, you will receive an intake packet of forms to complete, including a family history form. The completed forms are what the cancer genetic counselor uses to construct your family medical tree. The genetic counselor reviews the tree with a member of the breast care team and then they do a physical evaluation and make their recommendations.
At your genetic counseling visit, you will learn:
- The specific inherited disorder(s) that may be suspected in you and/or your family
- Genetic pattern(s) of inheritance of the disorder(s)
- Risk that you inherited this, or may have passed this to your children
- Risk of tumor development in anyone who carries the specific gene(s)
- How often you should be screened and by what cancer specialties