Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment Program
By offering our patients hereditary cancer risk assessment services, we are empowering the Wiregrass community with results that may in fact save their lives or the life of a family member.
We don’t simply hope this to be true — we firmly believe it as a result of personal experience and a deeper understanding of clinical relevance. After investing more than 1,200 hours in training and making site visits to other specialties across the state of Alabama offering similar solutions, we saw with our own eyes that in all cases, the results mattered. Keep reading to learn more about our compelling program.
Advantage: You
In one survey* of people who engaged in a hereditary cancer assessment program, patients reported the best parts of the experience were:
- Having the opportunity to talk to someone about cancer concerns
- Obtaining summary letters and family pedigrees
- Learning cancer risk was lower than expected, or….
- Realizing that the suspicion of cancer inheritance had been justified
*Source: Stadler MP, Mulvihill JJ: Cancer risk assessment and genetic counseling in an academic medical center: consultands’ satisfaction, knowledge, and behavior in the first year. J Genet Couns 7 (3): 279-97, 1998
Can you really inherit cancer?
Did you know that 5% to 10% of all cancers are hereditary? In those cases, cancer is caused by an abnormal gene that’s being passed from generation to generation. It’s actually the gene that’s being inherited, not the cancer itself.
Take the quiz
If you have a hereditary cancer syndrome, you’re at a significant risk for developing an initial cancer and a second primary cancer. Get a quick glance at whether you may be at increased risk for developing certain types of cancer by taking the online Hereditary Cancer Quiz now. It only takes about a minute.
Risk Assessment: Knowledge is Power
While the online quiz is a great start, it can’t take the place of a full screening. To get a more complete picture of your risk for hereditary cancer, Wiregrass Surgical offers high-risk screening and genetic counseling. At your risk assessment appointment, you’ll meet with a specially trained prevention risk coordinator who will gather information about your family and personal history to determine your risk for developing cancer. If we find your risk is increased, additional screening or preventative surgery, depending on the gene mutation, may be recommended.
You can trust the best
Our state-of-the-art Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment program is unmatched by any other physician surgical practice in the state, and it’s one of the elite programs in the country. We’ve put together a complete circle of care regarding determining risk, obtaining results, and follow-up. With a full-time prevention risk coordinator, a genetic counselor, and an in-house dedicated laboratory, we can offer the Wiregrass region the next generation of hereditary cancer risk testing.
It all reflects our commitment to identifying at-risk patients and helping them take the appropriate next steps in risk management or treatment options. The ultimate goal, of course, is the best possible outcome for our patients.
Schedule your risk assessment appointment today — It’s FREE
If you have questions about high-risk screening and genetic counseling, or if you would like to schedule a complimentary risk assessment appointment with our prevention risk coordinator, please call 334.793.1534. We look forward to speaking with you.