Oncogenetica

Determining whether a hereditary cancer predisposition is present, is important for both the patient with cancer and his family as it impacts surveillance and prevention or early detection of new tumours, treatment options and family planning. Therefore, it’s essential to consider criteria for genetic testing for every patient with cancer (now or in the past). This article outlines how to take a family history and where to find and how to apply referral criteria for genetic testing. The consequences of a genetic diagnosis for the patient and her family members are illustrated by a breast cancer case.

Conflict of interest and financial support: potential conflicts of interest have been reported for this article. ICMJE forms provided by the authors are available online along with the full text of this article.