title: Cancer risk assessment and the genetic counseling process: using hereditary breast and ovarian cancer as an example.
abstract: While only a small proportion of cancers can be attributed to a hereditary susceptibility, identifying high-risk individuals plays an essential role in medical management and has a significant impact on the patient as well as their immediate and extended family members. This paper aims at increasing the medical professionals' knowledge of the components of a genetic counseling session, with particular attention toward identifying at-risk individuals and understanding the complexities of the testing process. In addition, tools are provided to assist in identifying these individuals in clinical practice and streamlining the referral process to a cancer genetics center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala., USA.
authors.forename: Sandra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Prucka
authors.forename: Dawn E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: McIlvried
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Korf
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D019398:Genes, BRCA1; D024522:Genes, BRCA2; D005817:Genetic Counseling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000235:genetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors