“Angelina Jolie Effect”: What Should I Know About Hereditary Cancer and Testing?

In 2013, the world was taken by surprise when Angelina Jolie wrote a New York Times piece where she discussed her substantial family history of cancer, her decision to pursue genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2

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This webinar provides an overview of cancer and genetics, explores how family health history may impact cancer risk and provides information about how you and other members of your family can assess your cancer risk.  

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Be a “Know-It-All” About Your Breast Cancer RiskBy Mary Freivogel, MS, CGC
Messages about breast cancer screening are conflicting and confusing. Can I wait until age 50? Every year or every other year? Professional organizations have differing opinions, but many continue to recommend annual

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I Want to See a Genetic Counselor – How Do I Make That Happen?
Imagine that a close female relative has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Or, maybe you’re pregnant and your doctor has ordered genetic tests but you don’t really understand why.

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I Want to See a Genetic Counselor – How Do I Make That Happen?

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If you are worried about your mental health or that of one of your family members, you are not alone. You may be concerned that you have inherited a mental health condition — such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an autism spectrum disorder or alcoholism. Or you may worry about passing on a genetic mutation for a mental health condition to your children.

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As a prenatal genetic counselor, I help women and families navigate through the testing process including the critical – but often skipped – step of pre-test counseling.  For all moms-to-be undergoing prenatal screening, my number one piece of advice is: be your own advocate.

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September is National Cholesterol Education Month, and it's a great time to raise awareness about a little known but very common condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).

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Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is a growing global health problem. It is seen in all populations and its prevalence is rising. About five million Americans currently have this devastating disease, and the number is expected to increase to more than 13 million by 2050. It's also a terrifying prospect for any person who has ever watched a loved one suffer from the disease, or who fears that every lapse in memory is sign of Alzheimer's.

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Thyroid cancer is a common and mostly treatable disease, though there are some aggressive forms of thyroid cancer that do not respond to treatment.  About 63,000 Americans will be diagnosed with thyroid cancer and nearly 2,000 people will die of the disease in 2014, according to the American Cancer Society.

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