Resources for Talking to your Family about Hereditary Cancer

Nobody should suffer and die of a preventable cancer. Nobody. 

Please share these links with anybody who might have a family history of cancer.

 As part of my hereditary cancer awareness and prevention advocacy, I have created a site where a you can download a free Family Health/Cancer History Pedigree I created so you can get the conversation started.



 Sharing Medical Information with Relatives
If possible, the following family medical information should be collected and shared with close relatives:

    -- family members who were diagnosed with cancer
    -- age at diagnosis
    -- type of cancer, including pathology results, if available

    -- genetic test results
Read more...


Talking to Your Family About Your BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation
Learn how to share test results, letters from your doctor or genetic counselor, or other information you received about your mutation with your family. Giving family members information about your specific genetic mutation helps their healthcare providers know exactly which test to use.
Read more...

 

Talking to Your Family about Your Lynch Syndrome Diagnosis

Why talk to my family?

Your family members can benefit from knowing about your diagnosis of Lynch syndrome.  Talk to your family members about Lynch syndrome, and tell them Lynch syndrome is passed through families... Read more...
 


How to Share Genetic Test Results With Family
When you share genetic test results about hereditary cancers, your family members need to know at least these 2 important details to share with their health care providers or genetic counselors:

    -- The name of the specific gene where the mutation was found, like BRCA2
   -- The specific mutation in the gene, like 187delAG in BRCA1
Read more...


All in the Family: The Importance of Talking About Hereditary Cancer
The key is communicating information with not just your daughter or son, but also extended family such as an aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or grandchild, according to Megan Myers, M.S., a genetic counselor from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).
Read more...

 

Resources with videos:

 




Encouraging Family Conversations About Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer - YouTube Video Project
 

Bring Your Brave: Talking About Your Family History of Cancer

 

 

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome is an inherited cancer-predisposition syndrome. Affected individuals have a significantly greater risk of developing certain cancers, particularly breast cancer, in both men and women, and ovarian cancer in women. Many affected individuals tend to develop cancer earlier in life as well, usually before the age of 50.

Short Hereditary Cancer Syndrome Video


FacingOurRisk.org
Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered or FORCE.
FORCE's mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families facing hereditary cancer.

 My Faulty Gene
My Faulty Gene is a nonprofit organization which provides information and assistance to underserved, uninsured, and underinsured individuals whose family medical history suggests genetic testing might be helpful in identifying an increased risk of disease due to a genetic mutation.  We believe that everyone in need of germline genetic testing should have access, including family members of individuals with a known mutation.

Kintalk
Helping families by providing free education, support and help finding early detection and genetics services.


BRCA Exchange Web Portal

The BRCA Exchange aims to advance our understanding of the genetic basis of breast, ovarian, pancreatic and other cancers by pooling data on BRCA1/2 genetic variants and corresponding clinical data from around the world. Search for BRCA1 or BRCA2 variants above.

    Current number of unique BRCA variants in the portal: 68,962
        Unique BRCA1 variants in the portal: 34,446
        Unique BRCA2 variants in the portal: 34,516
    Number of ENIGMA expert-classified variants in the portal: 7,445
        Variants expert-classified as pathogenic: 4,900
        Variants expert-classified as likely pathogenic: 0
        Variants expert-classified as benign: 1,358
        Variants expert-classified as likely benign: 1,179


Prevent Cancer Foundation
The mission of the Prevent Cancer Foundation is empowering people to stay ahead of cancer through prevention and early detection.



  Other Cancer Resources
 

Take a Stand!
Staying on top of your health is one of the most important calls you can make. Nearly 5,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the US. Routine cancer screenings are incredibly important for early detection, especially for individuals with a family history of cancer.
 

 National Cancer Institute


The American Childhood Cancer Organization


St. Jude's Children's Hospital


Breast Cancer Research Foundation


American Cancer Society
 

National Breast Cancer Foundation


Living Beyond Breast Cancer


Breastcancer.org 

BrightPink.org.

Susan G. Komen Foundation

Can Substance Abuse Lead to a Cancer Diagnosis?