Cancer Genetics for the Clinician (PDF)

Cancer genetics is a quickly growing field within oncology. The ability to identify individuals at high risk for cancer improves the chance of early prevention and detection of cancer. The results of genetic testing affect quality of life, employment, and ability to be insured. This volume will provide an overview of cancer genetics, inherited cancer susceptibility, and available services and testing, including both the risks and benefits of testing. Some of the topics covered include: genetics of breast and ovarian cancer, testing minors for inherited cancer risk, chemoprevention of heritable cancer risk, genetics of colorectal cancer, insurance issues in genetic testing for cancer, ethical and legal issues in genetic testing for cancer susceptibility, testing for breast cancer risk in the Ashkenazim, estimating individualized risk of breast cancer, genetic counseling for the individual with inherited cancer susceptibility, and components of a genetic cancer risk clinic. While heritable cancers account for between five and ten percent of all cancer cases, molecular alterations attributable to specific inherited cancer susceptibility may give us important clues into the mechanism by which cancer occurs, not only in predisposed individuals, but also for sporadic cases.