When should family members consider genetic testing for conditions that could raise cancer risk? Ohio State genetic counselor Leigha Senter, MS, BS, shares some insights and expertise. How is family history related to cancer risk? There are lots of situations where just having a single kind of cancer in the family would make genetic testing appropriate. For instance, any person diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, or a family member of a person with pancreatic cancer, should consider genetic testing. The same holds true for those with ovarian cancer, advanced prostate cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer — the list goes on. Let's say you're in a family with all brothers, but your mom had ovarian cancer. It would still be important for you to think about the possibility of doing genetic testing because some of the genes that increase ovarian cancer risk in females might increase risk for other cancers, for instance prostate cancer, in males. The bottom line is, if you or a family member has been diagnosed with cancer, it's worth asking the question whether or not genetic testing would be right for you. How does BRCA affects cancer risk? Mutations in BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 are the most common causes of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers, and genetic testing for these genes is often recommended when you have a personal diagnosis or a family history of these diseases. If you know that your family has a mutation in BRCA one or two, you should definitely think about getting tested and speak to a genetic counselor. We recommend genetic testing whenever you know there's a hereditary cancer gene mutation in your family regardless of the relationship — a close relative or even a distant cousin — so that you can best take care of your health. What is Lynch syndrome? Lynch syndrome is a hereditary condition that increases risk primarily for colon and uterine cancers, but also other types of cancer. If you have Lynch syndrome in your family, you should talk to your doctor or a genetic counselor about getting genetic testing, too. This testing recommendation extends to anyone in the family, typically over the age of 18. If you have Lynch syndrome, it might mean that you need to start colonoscopies at a younger age than typical just to make sure that we're doing our best to prevent colon cancer. How do genetic counselors help cancer patients and their families? At The James at Ohio State, we’re lucky to work with experts who are leaders in cancer genetics research. Some of this research is designed to determine which genetic mutations — whether you inherited them, or they just happen to be in your tumor tissue — will be the best designed to receive certain therapies when you've been diagnosed with cancer. Some of our other cancer genetics researchers are working in labs trying to find new genes that might increase risk in families. That can help us identify those families at the highest level of risk and try to keep them from getting cancer to begin with. Leigha Senter, MS, BS, is a member of the Cancer Control Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and Ohio State’s associate director of the Division of Human Genetics and the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program.