- By Ashley Thompson
- Posted September 14, 2023
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Spotlight: Norma Livingston Ovarian Cancer Foundation
Norma was a healthy, active 65-year-old woman who was rarely sick and had always been proactive about her health. She went to her internist complaining of weight gain, abdominal discomfort, and a chronic cough. When the diagnosis was finally made, Norma had stage 4 ovarian cancer. She endured nine hours of surgery, countless rounds of chemotherapy, …
- By Jodi Tahsler
- Posted March 2, 2023
Meet the Gene Team: Bess Wayburn, PhD, CGC, presents the Gene of the Month, SPTBN1
Meet the Gene Team The Gene Team is an essential part of Ambry Genetics. This passionate team of experts is inspired by advancing the science of gene characterization and being able to help patients. For our first installment, we would like to introduce Bess Wayburn, PhD, CGC, Principal Clinical Scientist at Ambry Genetics. Bess Wayburn …
- By Melissa Holman, MS, CGC
- Posted February 28, 2023
American Heart Month Spotlight: Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes
Earlier this year, the nation’s attention was captured by Damar Hamlin’s story after he collapsed on the field from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during Monday Night Football. After Hamlin’s collapse, teammates, fans and most of America watched as CPR was performed and he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. In the days that followed, …
- By Margo Gallegos, MS, CGC
- Posted November 8, 2022
Genetic Counselors Make the Industry World Go Round
It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday and Gene Counselier, a genetic counselor for Healthcare Center, is at their desk after a long day at the clinic, placing patient orders. Gene knows from their years of working with patients that choosing the right testing laboratory is vital to set their clinic and patients up for success. Gene opens the Ambry Genetics …
- By Caroline Elsas
- Posted November 4, 2021
We Can Help Reduce Barriers to Cancer Genetic Testing
The world of hereditary cancer testing is complex, but genetic information is crucial for flagging at-risk patients and their relatives. They might just benefit from earlier and more frequent surveillance and/or preventive surgeries. For those individuals who face important and difficult health decisions, genetic counselors are invaluable members …
- By Alexandria Meyer
- Posted November 8, 2018
I am a Genetic Counselor- What Does That Mean?
“Genetic counselor” is not just a job title, though it is one that I have been enormously proud to carry for the past 10 years. In that time, I have come to primarily think of “genetic counselor” as a term which embodies a skill set. Just like Liam Neeson in “Taken,” we have a very special set of skills, however, our skills allow …
- By Jessica Profato, MS, CGC
- Posted June 8, 2018
I Survived Cancer, so Why do I Need Genetic Testing for it?
As a clinical genetic counselor, I saw many cancer survivors for genetic counseling. In some cases, it had been 30-40 years since they were diagnosed. Some of them were in their 60s-70s when I saw them, but they were young at the time of their cancer diagnosis. Years later, they were referred to me to talk about the possibility that their …
- By Stephany Tandy-Connor, MS
- Posted March 22, 2018
False-positive results released by direct-to-consumer genetic tests highlight the importance of clinical confirmation testing for appropriate patient care
The explosion of direct-to-consumer genetic testing over the last few years has created a ton of buzz, beyond just ancestry, health traits and wine preferences. Many of these DTC labs also release raw data to the consumer; this often leaves many individuals interested in what these findings mean and their potential impact on their healthcare …
- By Taylor Leigh
- Posted November 10, 2017
Why Genetic Counselors are Integral to Ambry
In our more than 20 years of operation, Ambry has come a long way. Looking back, it’s important to remember that we would not be “Ambry Genetics” without our genetic counselors. Ambry is built on the foundation of quality genetic testing that helps people find answers – and genetic counselors have been with us from the beginning, working …
- By Desiree Magee
- Posted November 8, 2017
Genetic Counselors: Companions on the Journey to Rare Disease Diagnosis
Our daughter Daphne started missing developmental milestones at around 6 months of age. She was unable to sit on her own and unwilling to eat baby food. We started down the path of diagnosis, which was long and exhausting and went like this: First, we went to our pediatrician to document our initial concerns and obtain referrals for a physical …
- By Jessica Profato, MS, CGC
- Posted October 16, 2017
Identifying Patients with Lynch Syndrome: A Paired Somatic/Germline Testing Approach
Lynch syndrome is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, affecting about 1/279-1/440 people in the U.S. It is caused by a genetic mutation in one of five genes: MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, or EPCAM. Individuals with Lynch syndrome have a significantly increased lifetime risk for multiple types of cancer including colorectal …
- By Laurie Curtis
- Posted September 28, 2017
How my Genetic Counselor Provided Guidance When I Needed it Most
I went in for genetic testing because cancer runs in my family: My maternal grandfather had prostate cancer; his sister had an unidentified cancer; my mother died from ovarian cancer; both her sisters have had breast cancer, one of which had bilateral breast cancer, 18 years apart; and 2 of my 3 female cousins have had breast cancer. One cousin …
- By Taylor Leigh
- Posted July 27, 2017
Ambry GC Melissa Truelson Advances Qualified Genetic Counseling in Minnesota
*Editor’s Note: For this article, we interviewed one of Ambry’s genetic counselors, Melissa Truelson, MS, CGC, who was instrumental in passing local healthcare legislation in her home state of Minnesota. One of Ambry’s genetic counselors, Melissa Truelson, MS, CGC, continually strives to advance qualified genetic counseling …
- By Carin Espenschied
- Posted June 29, 2017
What Happens When I Get My Genetic Test Results?
*Editor's Note: This post was originally shared on June 8th, 2016 and has been updated with current information. Learning the results of genetic testing can be a stressful experience for some, but it also has the potential to be empowering. If you are waiting for your genetic test results to come back or are considering …
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted May 18, 2017
How are Direct-to-Consumer and Medical-Grade Genetic Tests Different?
As we find more ways to take charge of our health, genetic testing is becoming something that many consider and, in fact, has become easier to access than ever before. An appointment with a doctor or genetic counselor is no longer required to access genetic testing – for some types of genetic tests, it’s now possible to order a test kit online, …
- By Brittney Murray, MS, CGC
- Posted April 27, 2017
Using Technology to Help with your Genetic Heart Disease Risk
Technology is everywhere. It has become pervasive in our lives. Phones and computers became smaller, smaller, and then somehow bigger and bigger again as our phones become our new computers. Increasing technological advances are also propelling healthcare: newer techniques, smarter robotics, and new drugs. Within genetics, testing techniques …
- By Jackie Connor
- Posted March 30, 2017
Ambry Talks Plans for Personalized Genomic Test Launch, Third Annual Trivia Night a Hit
On Thursday evening, March 23rd, an audience of more than 100 genetic counselors and geneticists from across the United States listened to Ambry Genetics’ Clinical Genomics Marketing Manager Layla Shahmirzadi, MS, CGC, discuss plans to launch a personalized genomic test for healthy individuals. The talk took place at Events on Jackson venue …
- 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 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 Michelle Jackson
- Posted August 4, 2016
And Now, A Little Something For the Men Facing Hereditary Cancer
As a female genetic counselor, I can say I have counseled many men regarding their risk for hereditary cancer. I have seen the different reactions and responses they have had. I have looked for different information (from what I provided to females) to give to them, if it will help. I cannot say I have any idea what it is like to be a man …
- By Tara Namey, MS, LCGC
- Posted July 28, 2016
What to Expect Regarding Your Health Care Following the Identification of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Gene Mutation
When you learn that you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, there are naturally questions as to what this will mean for your ongoing medical care and what you will need to do differently. The initial conversation with your healthcare provider will likely include a discussion about the options available to more carefully …
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted June 30, 2016
What Healthcare Providers Learn from Their Patients
When you go to an appointment with your healthcare provider, what do you expect? Information. Discussion. Compassion. Maybe a plan. And for good measure, a joke or two? That’s what I expect, anyway, when things are going well. That combination definitely shifts if things aren’t going well with my health. Then I expect to learn facts, offered …
- By Georgia Hurst
- Posted June 6, 2016
The Importance of Genetic Counseling With Genetic Testing
As I sit in the hereditary cancer trenches, I see the negative effects of genetic testing sans certified genetic counseling every single day – and it is an enormous problem. Many of the fears and concerns that people discuss with me could be addressed and ameliorated simply if they spoke with a certified genetic counselor before …
- By Kory Jasperson, MS,CGC
- Posted May 18, 2016
How Expert Care Teams Can Help You
My name is Kory Jasperson. If you asked my friends or family to tell you something about me, they’d probably tell you I’m an adrenaline junkie. They all know how much I love jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, off the tops of buildings, and even off the peaks of mountains or cliffs. Although some of my colleagues may reiterate the …
- By Jessica Profato, MS, CGC
- Posted February 4, 2016
Coping with Cancer: 5 Lessons from my Patients
As a clinical genetic counselor, a big part of my job was educating my patients about the basics of genetics and hereditarycancer. Another equally, if not more, important part of my job was to talk to them about how a diagnosis of cancer, a positive genetic test result, or a combination of the two was impacting their life and those of their …
- By Deepti Babu, MS, CGC
- Posted January 21, 2016
Advocacy groups: I got more out of it than they did
Several years ago when I was a new genetic counselor, doe-eyed and fresh out of grad school, I made sure certain topics came up in every session I had with a family. I covered the facts: the family history I’d collected, a review of genetic patterns, and any genetic testing options the family needed to consider. I’d usually write down …