Genetic Testing for Hereditary Cancer
Did you know that one in 10 cancers are due to a gene being passed down in the family? Denver Health now offers assessment and genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes for our adult patients.
Hereditary cancer genetic counseling and testing is available to patients with a referral from your primary care doctor. Begin by scheduling an appointment with your doctor to discuss whether it is right for you and then ask for a referral.
What happens during genetic counseling?
Genetic counseling helps determine your chances for cancers that may be passed down through your family. A genetic provider can help develop a plan to tailor your cancer screening based on your medical and family health history.
Genetic counseling can be coordinated by a genetic counselor or another healthcare professional with additional training in hereditary cancer. You will give the genetic provider your personal and family medical history. That history will help the provider determine if cancer runs in your family. The provider will discuss whether you need genetic testing, any inheritance in your family, and preventative cancer screening you may be eligible for.
If you choose to do the genetic testing, the genetics provider will coordinate it with you.
Genetic Testing Information
Genetic testing for hereditary cancer is done on-site at Denver Health. Testing for hereditary cancer genes can be time sensitive, especially for patients who are currently planning their cancer treatment or surgery options. It involves a blood draw or saliva sample, with a follow-up phone call from your genetic provider to discuss the results. For patients who do have genetic variants in hereditary cancer genes, your genetics provider will coordinate with your care team for recommendations on managing these conditions.
The genetics provider will also tell you if other members of your family need to be tested.
Our Services
- Breast cancer/high risk breast cancer genetic screening: Denver Health uses a genetic mapping software called Progeny, which contains eight validated risk assessment models to calculate a patient's cancer risk. This is combined with breast cancer genetic testing to provide a complete picture of cancer risk. Learn more about breast cancer risk in our blog.
- Uterine and ovarian cancer genetic screening
- Colon, prostate, kidney, pancreatic and other cancers genetic screening
Learn more about our genetic testing for cancer team.
Location
Genetic testing is done in various clinic locations within Denver Health's state-of-the-art Outpatient Medical Center, located at 660 N. Bannock St., Denver, CO 80204. You will be told where to go when you make an appointment (with your primary care doctor's referral).