2020 PPP magazine

Page 12 2020 Paint the Paper Pink Lincoln Daily News October 2020 A bout five to ten percent of all cancers are thought to be related to gene mutations that are inherited or passed down through the family. Having an inherited genetic mutation does not mean you will get cancer. It means you are at a higher risk for developing a certain type or types of cancer. Medical tests can look for many inherited gene mutations. This type of testing is called predictive genetic testing. Most people do not need this type of genetic testing. It’s usually recommended when certain types of cancer run in a family and a gene mutation is suspected. You might consider this type of testing if: • You have several first-degree relatives (mother, father, sisters, brothers, children) with cancer. • Many relatives on one side of your family have had the same type of cancer. • A cluster of cancers in your family have been linked to a single gene mutation (such as some types of breast, ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers). Should You Get Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk? • A family member has more than 1 type of cancer. • Family members have had cancer at a younger age than normal for that type of cancer. • Close relatives have cancers that are linked to hereditary cancer syndromes. • A family member has a rare cancer, such as breast cancer in a man or retinoblastoma (a type of eye cancer). • Ethnicity (for example, Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry is linked to ovarian and breast cancers). • A physical finding is linked to an inherited cancer (such as having many colon polyps). CONTINUE