Breast Cancer Genetic Counseling: A Surgeon's Perspective

Abstract

As surgeons who care for patients with breast cancer, the possibility of a cancer diagnosis being related to a hereditary predisposition is always a consideration. Not only are we as surgeons always trying to identify these patients and families but also we are often asked about a potential hereditary component by the patients and their family members. It is therefore critical that we accurately assess patients to determine who may benefit from genetic testing. Importantly, the potential benefit for identifying a hereditary breast cancer extends beyond the patient to other family members and the risk may not be only for the development of breast cancers, but for other cancers as well. This review was written from the perspective of a surgeon with additional training in cancer genetics in an effort to provide a unique perspective on the issue and feel that a review of some of the more practical considerations is important.

Keywords: breast cancer; genetic counseling; genetic risk assessment; genetic testing; hereditary breast cancer.

Figure 1

Genes associated with elevated breast cancer risk (figure courtesy of Alexandra Suttman, BA, genetic counseling student, The Ohio State University).