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. Clinical aspects of familial adenomatous polyposis and attenuated FAP.

Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Clinical aspects of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome

Lynch syndrome. Clinical features, diagnosis, testing and genetics of Lynch syndrome.

Clinical resources

Assessing cancer genetic services. Find genetics professionals and communicate with patients about a genetics referral.

Breast cancer risk and screening guidelines. Summarizes screening guidelines for patients at average, increased, and high genetic breast cancer risk.

Cancer risk assessment. Helps identify red flags and categorize, or stratify cancer risk based on family history.

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

Communicating risk. Key points to consider when communicating risk to patients.

Components of a cancer genetic counseling session. Discusses the core components of a cancer genetic counseling session.

Family history collection. This resource discusses the benefits of family history collection, and provides tips, resources, and tools for family history collection in clinical practice.

Genetic testing methods. Enhanced e-book available for download that provides information about different genetic testing methods currently used in testing for hereditary cancer syndromes.

Inheritance patterns. Fact sheet of common inheritance patterns of conditions with an underlying genetic component

Pedigree tool.Download a tool to record a pedigree.

Pre-test counseling key points. Key points to address during pre-test counseling.

Targeted colorectal family history. Provides guidance in collecting a family history targeted toward colorectal cancer.

Genomic Technologies for Oncologists E-book. Free, downloadable e-book providing an overview of genomic technologies used in cancer research and clinical care.

Patient resources

Hereditary cancer patient and family resources. Patient resources for understanding genetic services and breast cancer genetics.

Courses

Collecting family history. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about asking the right questions to elicit enough information to assess family history disease risk. (free CME available)

Categorizing cancer risk. Self-directed, 15-minute online program that provides opportunity to learn and practice how to analyze family histories and classify the patients' risk into average, increased (or moderate), or high risk for cancer. (free CME available)

Using family history to inform management. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about determining appropriate management based on family history risk using available guidelines. (free CME available)

Identifying red flags and patterns that increase risk. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about Identifying genetic red flags and patterns in a family medical history that can help determine if a condition has a significant genetic contribution. (free CME available)

Pre-test decisions & counseling. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about deciding when and if genetic testing is appropriate, given the clinical and personal context. (free CME available)

Interpreting genetic testing results. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about interpreting genetic testing results within a patient’s specific context. (free CME available)

Genetic testing technology. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about weighing the benefits, risks, and limitations of different tests within specific patient contexts. (free CME available)

Genetic testing for breast cancer risk. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about evaluating how well a particular genetic test assesses breast cancer risk (clinical validity) and the potential impact of testing on patient outcomes (clinical utility).  (free CME available)

Genetic testing for colorectal cancer risk. Self-directed, 15-minute online program about evaluating the fit between a patient's history and a particular genetic test for hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes. (free CME available)