Genetic Counselling has gained an immense importance in overall management of cancer patients and its implications on personalizing treatment for patients and alos dealing with the aspects of familial cancers. Genetic tests can identify an increased risk of a caner type or a specific disease, which allows people to take early action to decrease the disease burden. For example, familial risk of breast and ovarian cancer can be determined by testing for three specific genetic mutations in the BCRA1 and BCRA2.

At Indian Cancer Treatment Centre, we have dedicated and highly qualified genetic counsellors who seek family history from our patients during their sessions and make them understand importance of genetic testing. Such tests can help point out specific mutations in patients suffering with cancer which in turn help cancer treating physicians to offer personalized medicines to them to achieve best outcomes with minimal side effects. There are genetic tests available these days which undertake evaluation of panel of specific genes to check abnormalities in them and suggest treatment / medicines which can specifically work on them and which of them will have no benefit at all.

Our genetic counsellors make patients aware of genetic mutations which can pass from one generation to another subjecting next generation to the risk of developing cancer. They recommend relatives with high risk, the screening and diagnosis available to detect any abnormalities which can be immediately brought to the notice of the cancer specialist. Though risk of cancers running in families is very low, it cannot be ignored especially when we know that we can take prophylactic measures for relatives with high risk of familial cancers. Cancers of Breast, Ovary, Colon, Uterine are common examples of familial cancers.