The diagnosis of inherited breast cancer can be quite overwhelming. The prospect of genetic testing and risk assessment can also evoke strong emotional reactions. The staff of the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Program at GBMC understands the wide range of psychological reactions that can accompany the discovery that an individual has inherited a genetic mutation or is a member of a family that shows evidence of an inherited form of breast cancer. The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Program at GBMC's Comprehensive Breast Care Center is available to assist women who desire further information regarding their personal breast cancer risk. Risk assessment and testing for susceptibility to cancer is a complex and difficult issue.
Genetic counseling can help to sort out some of the complexities, both technical and emotional.
A board certified genetic counselor will meet with women and their families and review the genetic aspects of breast cancer, obtain complete medical and family history information, provide cancer risk assessment through a multidisciplinary approach, review testing options, and offer gene testing when appropriate. Other members of our multidisciplinary team include a medical geneticist, medical and surgical oncologists, an oncology nurse practioner, plastic surgeons, radiologists, a psychologist, and a social worker.