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| Family History of Cancer, Ovarian Cancer |
By the early 90’s, oncologists had obviously observed for some time that certain families
were far more affected by various malignancies than others.
They knew intuitively that a gene, or genes, tied these cancers to the families, but that genetic component couldn't be readily identified by testing. Today, advances in the study of genetics is changing all of that, allowing us to frequently identify who might be at an increased
risk for cancer, even before they develop one. The rapid discovery of new deleterious (bad) mutations allows us to identify individuals who are at an increased risk and to tell them what that risk is over the norm. Knowing this presents us with an opportunity to screen more effectively, to potentially intervene before the cancer starts, to counsel multiple generations within a family, and often prevent certain at risk members
from losing their own lives secondary to a malignancy.
