Have you ever worried about a disease running in your family? Maybe a relative was diagnosed with cancer or a heart problem, and now you’re wondering if it could affect you too. A genetic counselor can help connect the dots in your family history and provide personalized guidance on what to do next.
Genetic counselors are healthcare providers who are experts in medical genetics – that is, how your genes impact your health (and your family’s health). Genetic counselors have a master’s degree in genetic counseling and in-depth training in identifying genetic health risks, interpreting genetic test results, and communicating all this to the client. They’re skilled in breaking down difficult concepts so they’re easy to understand. Having a genetic counselor on your healthcare team can help you identify genetic health risks and make more informed decisions about your healthcare.
Let’s dive in and talk about the top 5 ways a genetic counselor can help you and your family.
A genetic counselor can assess your family history
Genetic counselors take a full personal and family medical history to assess your risk for certain diseases. They ask a bunch of questions in order to understand what diseases, if any, appear to be running in the family. Let’s use cancer as an example. The main things a genetic counselor will look for are:
Multiple people diagnosed with the same or related cancers
People in multiple generations diagnosed with cancer
People diagnosed at younger ages (usually less than age 50)
People diagnosed with more than one cancer
People diagnosed with a rare cancer (like ovarian or pancreatic cancer)
Depending on the pattern of cancers they see in your family, a genetic counselor will walk you through what they see in your family history and if there might be a genetic component to the disease(s) in your family. Not all genetic diseases have these same signs – some conditions, like those found on reproductive carrier screening, often “hide” in families.
Apart from cancer, genetic counselors also see clients with personal or family history of heart problems, fertility issues, birth defects, epilepsy, autism, and more.
A genetic counselor can assess you and your partner’s risk of having a child with a serious genetic condition
After assessing your personal disease risk, your genetic counselor can also assess your reproductive risks. If you have a genetic condition, your children (or future children) are also at risk.
As I mentioned before, some genetic conditions “hide” in families. This means an affected individual has no family history of the disease. Parents can be carriers of a genetic condition and not have any symptoms themselves. Most carriers don’t know they’re at risk until they have an affected child.
A genetic counselor will explain your genetic testing options
After assessing your risk, your genetic counselor will explain what genetic testing options are available or recommended. Genetic testing is a powerful tool in medicine, but the results also may come with some pretty serious implications for your health. Your genetic counselor will let you know about the possible results you could get, and how those results might change your healthcare decisions going forward. Since you share DNA with your family members, your genetic testing results could also have implications for your family member’s health. Your genetic counselor will also let you know about important laws related to insurance and other privacy considerations you might want to think about before having genetic testing.
The goal of meeting with a genetic counselor before you have genetic testing is for you to be prepared for the results you might get and how they might change your life going forward. This is a no-pressure situation, so you can always choose to do genetic testing later or not have it at all. Your genetic counselor is there to support you as you make decisions about genetic testing, not to tell you want to do.
A genetic counselor will help you understand your genetic test results and their impact on your healthcare
Once your genetic test results are available, your genetic counselor will explain what the results mean, both from a biological perspective and healthcare perspective. They will also make recommendations for your healthcare moving forward. For cancer, this might include things like having more frequent disease screenings (like mammograms), taking preventive measures before you develop a disease, and others. Your genetic counselor will also talk about implications your genetic test results may have for your family members. Even if you decide not to have genetic testing, your genetic counselor may still make healthcare recommendations based on your family history of disease alone – another reason why it’s crucial to see a genetic counselor rather than trying to do genetic testing on your own.
A genetic counselor can keep you up to date about your genetic test results and future options for genetic testing
Your genetic counselor can keep you updated on changes in the field of genetics. As scientists learn more, there may be important changes in treatment recommendations based on your specific gene mutation. Scientists are constantly learning more about our genes and their functions, and genetic testing technology itself is improving over time. We may learn about new genes that you should consider being tested for or updated genetic testing may be recommended in the future. Also, if there is a new medical diagnosis in your family in the future, additional genetic testing may be recommended based on this new information. By keeping in touch with your genetic counselor, you’ll ensure you have the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Have you ever wondered if you might be at risk for a disease that your family member has? Through the convenience of telehealth, a HealthyGene genetic counselor can guide you through the process and help you understand your genetic risks, genetic test results, and options to manage your care moving forward. Start with a personal risk assessment to learn if genetic testing might be right for you. Know your risks so you can be proactive about your health!
