- By Kory Jasperson, MS,CGC
- Posted March 23, 2017
How Expert Care Teams Can Help You - Repost
Editor’s Note: In recognition of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we are re-posting this piece by an Ambry genetic counselor. His many years of clinical experience working with families affected by hereditary colorectal cancer helped him understand the importance of expert care teams, and how they can help you. My name is…
- By Jackie Connor
- Posted March 14, 2017
Four Reasons Why Genetic Testing Matters to the Individual with Colorectal Cancer
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in both men and women in the United States, and more than 95,000 new cases of colon cancer and 39,000 new cases of rectal cancer are estimated for 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. Up to 10% of colorectal cancer is hereditary, or caused by inherited gene mutations. Hereditary…
- By Selvi Palaniappan, MS, CGC
- Posted March 9, 2017
Individual Genetic Test Results Lead to Individual Considerations
As a genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics, I’m happy to be contributing to the Ambry patient blog during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer can happen by chance, but it can also be inherited. Your doctor or genetic counselor can evaluate your family history to determine if you should consider genetic testing…
- By Georgia Hurst
- Posted March 2, 2017
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month- Do you Know About Lynch Syndrome?
In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, I would like to discuss the most common cause of hereditary colorectal and uterine cancer – Lynch syndrome. In fact, this post is dedicated to my brother Jimmy, who died of colon cancer due to Lynch syndrome at the age of 36. Lynch syndrome is a hereditary cancer condition passed down in families…
- By Dr. Dennis J Ahnen
- Posted December 8, 2016
Here’s To Our Families
I am, appropriately, finishing this post on Family Health History Day (the fourth Thursday in November, formerly known as Thanksgiving in the U.S.). The holidays are traditionally a time to get together with family, and what better time to focus on the importance of the health history? In this spirit, I thought we could focus on how a discussion…
- By David Dubin
- Posted November 3, 2016
Just Call Me “Above Average Dave”
“Superhero.” Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Flattering, obviously. As someone who has survived multiple cancers, still plays and coaches soccer, had his colonoscopy footage used on national television, and does a lot of public work, I’ve been given a few titles. One of them is superhero. Thanks. But I worry that people, especially others…
- By Travis Bray
- Posted August 22, 2016
Kicking and Screaming
Dealing with test results, as one would imagine, is solely and sorely dependent on the results. Writing about what’s it’s like for a doctor to say that there’s nothing wrong would produce a very short blog post. It would basically go like this: Doctor: “You’re fine… all clear.” Me: “Cool… see you next year, Doc.” Being sick,…
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted August 17, 2016
The Buddy System: It works for Hereditary Cancer, Too
We’ve covered a lot of territory with this blog, so thank you for coming on the ride with us. Theresa Smith talked about her experience of sharing her genetic test results with her family, and we offered a genetic counselor’s perspective on the same idea. This time, we’re focusing more on you – we’re exploring the idea of building a support…
- By Kory Jasperson, MS,CGC
- Posted August 15, 2016
Help Researchers Help You
Participating in research is one of the most powerful ways patients can make a difference in advancing scientific discovery. This is especially true for individuals who have a rare disease, such as a hereditary cancer syndrome. It can be very rewarding to know that you might be able to contribute to the advancement of science. However, research…
- By Carin Espenschied
- Posted August 3, 2016
How Laws Protect Genetic Information
There are many different things to consider when deciding whether to have genetic testing. In addition to the impact of the test results on your physical and emotional health and that of your family members (more on that here), you should also consider your insurance coverage and the possibility of discrimination. When I met with patients as…