Genetics & Cancer

One-size-fits-all medicine is a thing of the past. Cancer, at its core, is a genetic disease. Today’s advances in cancer research mean that doctors can now tailor a personalized treatment to the patient’s specific cancer type.

Knowing if the patient’s chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has genetic abnormalities through genetic testing can help doctors select the best treatment.

The terms genetics and genomics are often used interchangeably in relation to cancer, but they refer to different things and are becoming very important in cancer treatment.

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer; the cause of this cancer is not yet known. Although it is not considered a hereditary cancer and does not run in families, many genetic factors, especially genetic alterations (mutations) and chromosome abnormalities, play a role in multiple myeloma, as in many other cancers.

At the Women’s Survivors Alliance SURVIVORville 2015 meeting, Sara Lewis, MS, LCGC, Hereditary Cancer Clinic, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, discussed the key issues that arise before people pursue the option of genetic testing.

The risks for multiple myeloma, a rare and aggressive blood cancer, have long been linked to increasing age (older than 65), male sex, and African-American race. However, researchers are now looking into genetic risk factors to better understand and treat the disease.

Did you know that about 5% to 10% of cancers are hereditary? If you didn’t, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Read about the role of genetics in cancer.

Everyone is familiar with the word “cancer.” But when cancer impacts you or your family, it takes on a whole new meaning, literally.