Hereditary Cancer Screening & Genetic Testing in Andover, MA
Understand your personal and family cancer risk with genetic testing options from Natera and Myriad designed to help guide informed, proactive healthcare decisions.
Take a Proactive Approach to Your Health
Certain cancers can be linked to inherited genetic changes passed down through families. At Winchester Women's Healthcare, we offer hereditary cancer screening to help identify patients who may have an increased genetic risk for certain types of cancer.
Understanding your risk can provide valuable information for you and your healthcare providers, allowing you to make more informed decisions about appropriate screenings, prevention strategies, and your long-term health.
Who Should Consider Hereditary Cancer Screening?
Genetic testing may be worth discussing when your personal or family history suggests the possibility of an inherited cancer risk. Factors that may warrant further evaluation can include:
- Multiple relatives diagnosed with the same or related cancers
- Cancer diagnosed at a younger-than-expected age
- A personal history of certain cancers
- Multiple cancers occurring within the same individual
- A known hereditary cancer-related genetic variant in the family
- Family histories involving breast, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, or other cancers
Dr. Millar can review your personal and family history and discuss whether genetic testing may be appropriate for you.
Natera Empower & Myriad Genetic Testing
Winchester Women's Healthcare offers hereditary cancer genetic testing options through Natera Empower and Myriad.
These tests can evaluate genes associated with inherited susceptibility to certain cancers. The specific test or panel recommended will depend on your personal health history, family cancer history, and individual risk factors.
Dr. Millar can help you understand your testing options and what information a particular genetic test may provide before you decide whether to proceed.
Understanding Breast, Ovarian & Other Hereditary Cancer Risks
Hereditary cancer testing may evaluate genetic variants associated with increased risks for cancers including breast, ovarian, uterine, colorectal, pancreatic, and other cancers, depending on the testing panel selected.
A genetic finding does not mean that you will develop cancer. Instead, certain results may indicate an increased inherited risk and provide information that can help guide discussions about appropriate screening, monitoring, preventive strategies, or specialist care.
For patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer, Dr. Millar can also discuss whether hereditary genetic testing may be appropriate and whether your results or family history warrant further evaluation or referral for pancreatic cancer surveillance.
Understanding Your Results & Next Steps
Genetic test results can sometimes be complicated, which is why understanding the results in the context of your personal and family history is important.
Dr. Millar can review your results with you and discuss appropriate next steps. Depending on the findings, this could include changes to recommended screening, closer monitoring, preventive strategies, or referral to another healthcare specialist.
Because inherited genetic variants can run in families, certain findings may also provide valuable information for biological relatives who may want to discuss their own risk and testing options with their healthcare providers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hereditary cancer screening uses genetic testing to look for inherited genetic changes that may be associated with an increased risk for certain cancers.
Winchester Women's Healthcare offers hereditary cancer genetic testing options through Natera Empower and Myriad. Dr. Millar can determine which testing may be appropriate based on your personal and family history.
Depending on the test selected, hereditary cancer panels may evaluate genes associated with breast, ovarian, uterine, colorectal, pancreatic, and other cancers.
Certain hereditary cancer panels can identify genetic variants associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk. If your personal or family history raises concern, Dr. Millar can discuss appropriate genetic testing and whether additional specialist evaluation or surveillance should be considered.
No. Having a genetic variant associated with increased cancer risk does not mean you will definitely develop cancer. The information can help you and your healthcare providers make more informed decisions about screening, monitoring, and preventive care.
Understand Your Risk. Plan for Your Future.
Your family history can provide important clues about your health. Hereditary cancer genetic testing can help you better understand your individual risk and take a more informed approach to preventive care.
Schedule a hereditary cancer screening and genetic testing consultation with Dr. Mary Ann Millar at
Winchester Women's Healthcare in Andover, MA.
