Ambry has continued to provide clinicians with the most relevant and useful information to encourage education about the benefits of genetic testing for patients and ways to streamline genetic testing in clinical practice. At the 2017 SSO Annual Cancer Symposium, Ambry hosted the presentation “On the Cutting Edge: Sharpening Your Genetic Awareness…
In my role as co-founder of AliveAndKickn, people ask me for my opinion all the time. Topics range from how to manage pain, how to navigate post-cancer survivorship, to whether or not the U.S. will ever become a world soccer powerhouse. (No, I’m not kidding.) I’m not big on giving advice, but I try to answer as honestly as I can. First,…
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…
Cancer is an equal opportunity disease: It affects people regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic background or race. One day, you may be walking along, seemingly healthy as a horse and the next day—you’re diagnosed with cancer. Your outlook may be bleak; it might be optimistic. Either way, as the person diagnosed, it’s a feeling of being…
Editor’s Note: At a time when we might consider the year ahead, we thought it helpful to re-post this entry from Theresa Smith, patient advocate, who offered her "next steps" after learning at age 45 that she carried a BRCA2 mutation. Sharing the news about my genetic test results with my immediate family was tough. I'll offer some…
Editor's Note: At this time of reflection as we begin the new year, we are re-posting this piece by an expert in digital media/communications to offer you guidance when navigating social media during a journey with cancer or other health issue. Today, hectic work schedules and other increasing demands on everyone’s time mean we are…
The new year leaves me contemplating where I am now, and where I have been to get here. When I discovered I had Lynch syndrome more than five years ago, I was absolutely horrified and developed death anxiety. Every single aspect of my life became magnified. I could not help but feel as though a ticking time bomb had been strapped to my back –…
Editor’s Note: We are re-posting this entry by Tameron Harvell, a registered nurse practitioner, to raise the profile of “survivor’s guilt” – an issue that can be particularly challenging during the holidays. You’ve just received your cancer genetic testing results and no mutation was found! What a relief to know…
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…
Editor's Note: This is a continuation of Cynthia's initial experience of being diagnosed with hereditary ovarian cancer in 2012, which she began to tell us in her post from September 29, 2016. With an October diagnosis, the holiday season was going to be a new experience for our family of five. Although difficult in many ways, cancer…