You likely have many questions about genetic counseling and genetic testing. Here are some of the more common questions.

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During this global pandemic, social inequities and health disparities are being exposed and discussed more than ever.  In this episode, we speak to expert researcher and genetic counselor, Altovise T. Ewing, PhD, LCGC, to raise awareness of these issues for people having genetic testing, so they can better navigate them. 

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In an effort to improve communication between patients and providers about genetic testing needs for cancer, LUNGevity Foundation coordinated a working group of stakeholders who evaluated terms used in patient education and clinical care. Ultimately, the group agreed on three terms to replace thirty-three other related terms, in hopes of simplifying things for patients.

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Genetic testing can bring out this uncertainty when results are not as clear as we had hoped. And when you layer in a global pandemic that has many unknowns, this can get difficult. In this episode, our host, Deepti Babu, MS, CGC sits down with Marleah Dean Kruzel, PhD to offer listeners ways to navigate uncertainty when it comes to genetics and genetic testing.

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At-home DNA tests are popular, but some direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies have cut their workforce following a slowdown in sales. Is the tide changing? If so, why?

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Genetic testing for ancestry is more accessible and affordable than ever, and every day it is helping people crack the code on their family histories. These ancestry tests originally gained popularity as people wanted to learn more about where they came from, who their relatives were and what cultures they were tied to.

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At-home DNA tests are a popular gift, especially during the holidays. Did you receive one - by surprise or because it was on your wish list - and now you are wondering how to take advantage of it? This episode discusses how to make the most of your DNA test holiday gift.

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This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NSGC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) want to help individuals learn the steps they can take to understand their risk for health conditions, including breast and ovarian cancer. In a new episode of NSGC’s Genetic Counselors and You consumer podcast series, NSGC Cancer Expert Joy Larsen Haidle and family physician, Sarah Coles, MD, discuss how genetic testing and counseling is part of understanding genetic risk. Larsen Haidle is a genetic counselor at North Memorial Health Cancer Center in Robbinsdale, Minn. and Coles is a family physician from Phoenix, Ariz.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want to help women learn the steps they can take – like genetic testing and genetic counseling – to understand their risk for breast and ovarian cancer. 

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February is American Heart Month, so it's a great time to take heredity to heart and learn why genetics is important in heart disease. Cardiovascular genetic counselors specialize in providing risk assessment and, when heredity is indicated, genetic testing for heart disease.  Since cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading killer of American men and women, knowing whether you may have an increased genetic risk is very important.

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