Michele Traverse, PHD, NP
Binghamton: 607-798-6177
Genetic counseling and testing are essential components of comprehensive cancer care. The Hereditary Cancer Risk Clinic offers expert guidance and care navigation to identify cancer at its most treatable stages, while emphasizing prevention and tailored risk assessment. The program empowers patients to understand their inherited risks and provides support for family communication, enabling relatives to make informed decisions about genetic testing and ongoing care.
What is Hereditary Cancer?
Hereditary cancer is a condition passed down through families that increases the risk of certain types of cancer. Hereditary cancer is caused by changes, called mutations, in specific genes that are inherited from parents. Families with hereditary cancer syndrome often show patterns. These patterns include multiple close relatives (such as a mother, daughter and sister) having the same type of cancer, someone getting cancer at a young age, or one person developing two or more different types of cancer.
Hereditary cancers make up about 5-10% of all cancer cases. Genetic testing can help find these inherited gene mutations and give you valuable information about your own cancer risk. With this knowledge, you and your healthcare team can create a plan for regular check-ups, prevention, or catching cancer early.
Who is Eligible to be Seen at the Clinic?
The Hereditary Cancer Risk Clinic helps people with personal or family histories of different types of cancer. This includes those with and without cancer, as well as people who have or haven’t had genetic testing. You can be referred by your doctor, or you can refer yourself. If you or your doctor is worried about a higher risk of cancer because of your family or personal history, we can review your information and provide you a personalized risk assessment.
What to Expect at Your Visit
If you haven’t had genetic testing, a genetics Advanced Practice Provider (APP) will go over your personal and family history in detail. They will explain hereditary cancer, the pros and cons of genetic testing and the testing options available. If you choose to get genetic testing, it can be done on the same day as your appointment.
If you’ve already had testing and have a hereditary cancer syndrome (like HBOC or Lynch syndrome), you will meet with an APP. During your appointment, you’ll review and update your personal and family history, identify family members who haven’t been tested but might benefit from it and go over the latest NCCN guidelines. For conditions without specific guidelines, the most recent research will be reviewed to help guide your care.
Preparing for Your Appointment
It is very important to complete and return your intake forms before your appointment so that we can make the visit more beneficial for you. If you or a close relative has had genetic testing, please bring that information as well. Your initial appointment will be 60 minutes.