By Sally Owen

Your father’s blue eyes. Your mother’s curly hair. Your grandmother’s cancer?

Many people don’t realize that some cancers – breast, ovarian and colorectal, in particular – are hereditary due to a damaged gene passed from parent to child. Now at Southeast Missouri Hospital’s Regional Cancer Center, individuals with a strong cancer history can receive cancer risk assessment and counseling, education and, if appropriate, genetic testing at the region’s first Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment clinic.

Robert S. Hunt, M.D., with the Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic at the Breast Care Center, feels the clinic is a great thing for the region. "It’s certainly appropriate for women who have a strong family history of breast cancer. In fact, there are families that have such a high risk it’s almost imperative that they have genetic counseling.

"I see women in my office every day whose mother, grandmother, sister or aunt had breast cancer and are scared to death they’re going to get it. With careful genetic counseling we can put those women at ease or use the tools we have available to help them if they do test positive," he said.

Offered in cooperation with Myriad Co., the clinic is located in the Regional Cancer Center and may be accessed by physician referral. Oncology Nurse Manager LaVonna Wollard-Biddle, BSN, RN, OCN, explains that cancer risk assessment can determine a "family pedigree" that shows whether or not an individual is at significant risk for developing cancer.

LaVonna Wollard-Biddle, BNS, RN, OCN, nurse manager of Oncology Unit and Infusion Services.

The process begins, she says, "with homework that includes talking with relatives about your extended family’s cancer history."

At the clinic, Wollard-Biddle works with patients to gather and analyze their personal medical, lifestyle and family history.

She also helps patients determine if their histories suggest an inherited form of cancer and discusses with them options for cancer screening and prevention. If it is determined that an individual’s history is suggestive of inheriting cancer, the option of sending a blood sample to the Myriad lab for an in-depth genetic analysis, (Polymerase Chain Reaction that can distinguish, evaluate and create any specific piece of DNA) is discussed.

Results of the in-depth genetic analysis are shared with the patient’s physician, and the two then discuss the best way to manage cancer risk through avenues that include increased screening, preventive drug therapy and reducing factors that may contribute to that risk. "A positive test indicates that a person has a greatly increased risk of developing cancer, but it does not mean cancer is certain to occur," Wollard-Biddle emphasizes. "A positive test means that you need to be more vigilant.

Learn more about Southeast’s Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment by calling (573) 651-5550.

Did you know?

Everyone is born with two copies of about 30,000 different genes. One copy of each gene comes from your mother, the other from your father.