Cancer Genetics |
Cancer Genetics Services at WPAHS
Cancer Genetic Counseling Services for The West Penn Allegheny Health System are coordinated through the Cancer Genetics Program at Allegheny General Hospital. These services are also offered at the Richard Laube Cancer Center and Sharon Regional monthly.
The Genetics Program provides hereditary cancer risk assessment, education, and research opportunities for individuals and their families who are concerned about their hereditary risk for cancer. The program consists of physicians who specialize in cancer genetics and genetic counselors who are specially trained in cancer genetics and certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.
While the majority of cancer is spontaneous, without apparent family patterns, 5 to 10 percent of individuals' cancers may be attributed to hereditary factors. A cancer risk consultation provides information about how inherited factors may cause cancer in an individual or in a family, accurate information about cancer risks, cancer screening, and genetic testing.
People with genetically linked cancers have altered cancer-associated genes - that may be passed to future generations. Because they are altered from birth, these genes have the potential to mutate early in life, triggering the development of cancer at younger than- average ages.
Genetic counselors conduct in-depth interviews that review family medical history in detail. There are many issues to consider with genetic testing, all of which are discussed in the genetic counseling session. We provide options for prevention and early detection of cancer as well as the option for genetic testing if needed. In addition, we offer a one-hour confidential meeting with a certified genetic counselor and physician who specialize in cancer risk assessment.
We are a source for patients and their families to provide you with health information regarding cancer risks based on family healthy history including confirming, diagnosing, or ruling out a genetic condition; identifying medical management issues; and providing or arranging for psychosocial support.
The office visit (genetic counseling) is covered by health insurance companies and genetic testing is covered on a case-by-case basis, which is investigated by the genetic counselor after the genetic counseling meeting.
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Genetic testing also yields critical information that helps the team determine the strength of patients' hereditary factors and the risk that they, or their children, may develop cancer. Some indicators of a hereditary predisposition to cancer are:
• Early-onset cancer in patient or relative, such as breast, ovarian, or colon cancer before the age of 50
• Patient has first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) with cancer
• Patient has two or more relatives with the same or related cancers
• Primary cancers in bilateral organs (ex. breast, ovaries, kidneys, or adrenal glands) in the family
• Two different primary cancers in the patient or a relative, such as colon and uterine cancers
• Rare cancer type in the patient or a relative, such as medullary thyroid cancer, sarcoma, or male breast cancer
• Inherited syndromes that predispose toward cancer in a family, such as multiple intestinal polyposis or Cowden disease
• Lifestyle habits that may contribute to, or exacerbate, the development of cancer, including smoking, alcohol consumption or obesity
• Environmental factors that also may con tribute to, or exacerbate, the development of cancer
• DNA/molecular analysis that reveals the presence of genes that are known to be associated with increased cancer risk due to a hereditary susceptibility (a known cancer-predisposition in the family)
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A simple blood test is sent to a laboratory for analysis of the genetic code of a gene. This involves reading through the genetic code looking for changes linked with hereditary cancer. Cancer associated with hereditary cancer syndromes include:
• Breast and ovarian cancers [Hereditary Breast-Ovarian Cancer]
• Colon, uterine, ovarian and stomach cancers [Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer]
• Colon polyps (more than 10) and colon cancer [Familial Adenomatous Polyposis]
• Endocrine tumors (thyroid, pituitary, pancreas, adrenal gland) [Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia]
• Breast, brain, leukemia, bone and/or muscle cancers [Li-Fraumeni Syndrome]
• Breast, thyroid, and uterine cancers [Cowden Syndrome]
• Kidney, adrenal gland and retinal tumors [Von Hippel-Lindau]
• Retinoblastoma
• Familial Melanoma
Talk with your family members about who has had cancer, where the cancer began in the body and what age the relative was when diagnosed and/or complete a family history questionnaire and share it with the genetic counselor.
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For more information contact the Cancer Genetics Program to schedule an appointment or for questions- 412-359-8064
Lawrence Wickerham, MD
Chief, Section of Cancer Genetics and Prevention
Saima Sharif, MD
Medical Oncologist
Megan Marshall, MS, CGC
Certified Genetic Counselor
Kyla Morphy, MS, CGC
Certified Genetic Counselor
