Many cancers have been linked to genetic mutations, whether they’re inherited or occur spontaneously.
Certain BRCA mutations, for instance, have been shown to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in the people who carry them. The mutation associated with Lynch syndrome, on the other hand, increases a person’s chances of developing colorectal and endometrial cancers. And mutations in the TP53 gene are often found in people...
When you agree to genetic testing, you expect a yes or no answer: yes, you have an abnormal change in a gene that increases your cancer...
Between 5% and 10% of cancers are hereditary. This means that the cancer is caused by a change in your genes called a genetic mutation.
Between 5% and 10% of all cancers are hereditary, which means that changes in specific genes are passed from one generation to another. People who inherit one of these gene mutations will have a higher-than-average lifetime risk of developing cancer.
Because most cancer cases aren’t genetic, not every patient needs genetic counseling and testing is not for every patient.
“That’s why it’s important for health care providers...
At-home genetic tests can reveal a wide range of information that can impact your life in different ways. You might find out you’re sensitive...
Before my diagnosis in February 2019, no one in my family had ever had cancer. So we were all very surprised when I was diagnosed with triple-negative...
When I learned six years ago that I carry a genetic mutation called CDH1, my initial response was anger. I had just gotten married, and my...
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at MD Anderson in January 2019, my biggest concern wasn’t actually my breasts. It was my heart. Because...
In 2014, I learned that I carry a genetic mutation called CDH1, which markedly increases my risk of developing breast and stomach cancers....
Discovering I had bone cancer when I was only 12 forced me to mature very quickly. Doctors found a growth about the size of an orange in my...