More
healthcare professionals need to be aware of the importance of
communicating a genetic risk for cancer to all who may be at risk.
There
are many hereditary cancers that are preventable or can be detected and
successfully treated at early stages, but that comes only with
communicating that information. It is hard for someone to be proactive
if they are not aware of the threat.
Leaving communicating about
any mutations and cancer risks just to family members often DOES NOT
work out well. (Tragically, that's why I'm a widower.)
"Effective family communication about genetic information is complex and occurs at lower than optimal rates." *
(Read more about that quote and the study it came from at the link below.)
*https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780470015902.a0024195
**Link to the Journal of Law and the Biosciences:
https://academic.oup.com/jlb/article/7/1/lsaa071/6029410?login=false
#dutytowarn #hereditarycancer #BRCA2 #genetictesting #HIPPA #cancerprevention #germlinemutations #geneticcounseling