Is Genetic Testing Right for You?

Deciding if you should get genetic testing to assess your cancer risk can be a tough call. There are some things you should know before you go. Rachel Webster, a genetic counselor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, says that those who have a close relative who inherited an increased cancer risk may want to consider testing.

“If somebody in your family is found to have a genetic predisposition to cancer, whether it be breast cancer or any other type of cancer, the first step is to start testing relatives most closely related to you,” Webster says. “Those relatives might be brothers, sisters, parents children. Those first degree relatives are the ones that are at the highest probability of having that same genetic predisposition.”

Webster also recommends meeting with a genetic counselor, because they will be able decide which type of genetic testing is best for you. And if you’re worried about an invasive test, don’t be. “Genetic testing is probably the easiest test you have ever had in a cancer center. It is one tube of blood or a vial full of saliva,” Webster says.

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