Cancer Resources

Approximately 5-10% of all cancer is due to hereditary cancer syndromes. More cancers are likely influenced by genetic factors associated with moderate risk. Being able to identify individuals at increased cancer risk through family history and, in some cases, genetic testing, can influence management and outcomes through increasing screening and/or risk-reducing interventions. The resources below provide opportunities to learn about hereditary cancer syndromes, identify individuals at increased risk, interpret genetic testing results, apply genetic information to management, collaborate with genetics professionals, and communicate with patients.

About Cancer

Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Factsheet. Describes the clinical features, diagnosis, testing and genetics of familial adenomatous polyopsis (FAP) and attenuated FAP.

Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome Factsheet. Describes the clinical features, diagnosis, testing and genetics of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome.

Lynch Syndrome Factsheet. Describes the clinical features, diagnosis, testing and genetics of Lynch syndrome (hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer).

MUTYH-Associated Adenomatous Polyposis Factsheet. Describes the clinical features, diagnosis, testing and genetics of MUTYH-associated polyposis (MAP).

Clinical Resources

Accessing Genetic Services Tool. Lists tools and websites to help find genetics professionals and provides patient talking points about referring to genetics.

Breast Cancer Risk and Screening Guidelines Factsheet. Summarizes screening guidelines for patients at average, increased, and high genetic risk for breast cancer.

Cancer Risk Assessment Tool. Helps identify red flags and stratify cancer risk based on family history.

Cancer Screening Factsheet. Summarizes professional society guidance about screening for individuals at average, increased, and high risk for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.

Communicating Risk Factsheet. Outlines key points to consider when communicating risk to patients.

Components of a Cancer Genetic Counseling Session Factsheet. Discusses the core components of a cancer genetic counseling session.

Family History Collection Tips & Tools. Provides tips, resources, and tools for family history collection in clinical practice.

Family History Questionnaire. A collection form for medical family history data that can be printed and used in clinical practice.

Genetic Testing Methods eBook. Provides information about different genetic testing methods currently used in testing for hereditary cancer syndromes (enhanced e-book available for download).

Inheritance Patterns Factsheet. Outlines common inheritance patterns of conditions with an underlying genetic component.

Pedigree Tool. A template to record a pedigree with standard pedigree nomenclature.

Pretest Counseling Key Points Factsheet. Outlines key points to address during pretest counseling.

Targeted Colorectal and Polyp Family History Tool. Lists key questions and guidance for collecting a family history targeted toward colorectal cancer.

Genomic Technologies for Oncologists eBook. Provides an overview of genomic technologies used in cancer research and clinical care (enhanced e-book available for download).

Patient Resources

Hereditary Breast Cancer Patient and Family Resources. Provides patient resources for understanding genetic services and breast cancer genetics.

Online Courses

Free, self-directed programs for continuing education credit.

Collecting Family History

Practice asking the right questions to elicit enough information to assess family history disease risk and get tools to implement your skills.
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Categorizing Cancer Risk

Analyze family histories and classify patients' risk into average, increased (moderate), or high risk for cancer.
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Using Family History to Inform Management

Practice determining appropriate management based on family history risk stratification.
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Identifying Red Flags and Patterns That Increase Risk

Practice identifying risk factors in case scenarios and receive tools to help make this task easy to implement in your practice.
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Pretest Decisions and Counseling

Practice deciding when and if genetic testing is appropriate given a patient's clinical and personal context.
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Interpreting Genetic Testing Results

Practice interpreting genetic testing results within a patient's specific context.
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Genetic Testing Technology

Practice weighing the benefits, risks, and limitations of different tests within specific patient contexts.
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Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk

Practice evaluating how well a particular genetic test assesses breast cancer risk and the potential impact of testing on patient outcomes.
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Genetic Testing for Colorectal Cancer Risk

Practice evaluating the fit between a patient's history and a particular genetic test for hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.
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Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC)

Learn how to identify, evaluate, and manage patients at increased risk of HBOC.
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Precision Medicine for Your Practice: Exploring Somatic Cancer Panel Testing

Learn how to determine when somatic cancer panel testing is appropriate for your patients and how to interpret results of such testing.
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Precision Medicine for Your Practice: Interpreting Results from Somatic Cancer Panels

Learn how to identify important test characteristics, compare and contrast offerings from different labs, find actionable information on the test report, and interpret results in the context of the individual patient.
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