What is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counselors and medical geneticists are health professionals with specialized graduate degrees and experience in the areas of medical genetics and counseling. They can work in many settings in addition to oncology, such as pre-conception, prenatal, pediatric, and adult medicine clinics.

Genetic counselors provide information and support for families who have members with birth defects, genetic disorders, or may be at risk for an inherited disease like specific cancers.

Genetic counseling with a genetic counselor and/or medical geneticist can provide people with an accurate cancer risk assessment. The Genetics Clinic counselors will help gather records on affected family members and review the records with you. Genetic testing may be offered to you or a family member, if such testing might be helpful for the family.

Cancer Prevention at SCCA
Once the genetic cancer risk assessment is complete, you will be referred to one of the cancer prevention programs for cancer screening and prevention recommendations.

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance currently has three cancer prevention programs: the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program, the Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention Program, and the Cancer Prevention Clinic.

If you decide not to have genetic testing but would like to talk to a physician about your risk of getting cancer and the best ways to prevent it, you may visit the Cancer Prevention Clinic located at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.

DNA Banking
The SCCA and the UW Medical Genetics clinic offer DNA banking, or storing of genetic material, from a blood sample for future use by other relatives.

December 2006