Over 2,000 screened for cancer by genetic counselling service

TheHamad Medical Corporation’s Hereditary Cancer and High-Risk ScreeningClinic has carried out genetic assessments on over 2,000 people,resulting in decreased cancer risk, early detection, and targetedtreatment since the establishment of the clinic in 2013.Dr SalhaBujassoum, senior consultant, Haematology and Oncology, and director ofthe Hereditary and High-risk Screening programme said in 2017, a totalof 800 individuals were referred to the clinic for evaluation associatedwith their risk of hereditary cancer. The genetic counselling andtesting service, which is part of the Hereditary and High-Risk ScreeningClinic at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR),provides a comprehensive genetic risk assessment for patients who areconcerned about their hereditary cancer risk because of a personaland/or family history. The multidisciplinary clinic aims to identifypatients at high risk of developing cancer due to young-onsetdiagnosis, a strong family history, or a positive genetic test result.Staff at the clinic provide targeted therapies, including prophylacticsurgery and chemoprevention and work with patients to incorporateprevention strategies into their life that can help reduce their cancerrisk.According to Dr Bujassoum, while cancer is a common disease,some individuals are at a greater risk of developing it due to inheritedgene faults. She says inherited gene faults are responsible for around 5to 10% of all cancers.“Greater awareness of the role genetics canplay in causing certain cancers, as well as increased knowledge of thescreening tools available at HMC, has led to more patients requestinggenetic counselling and testing,” said Dr Bujassoum.Genetic testingexamines a patient’s DNA for gene faults. According to Dr Bujassoum,genetic testing for cancer is typically recommended for individuals whoare diagnosed with the disease at a very young age and for individualswho have a strong family history of cancer, such as individuals who havemultiple cases of cancer in their family. Currently, genetictesting is available to screen for gene faults that increase anindividual’s risk of breast, bowel, ovarian, womb, and prostate cancers.Dr Bujassoum said these tests can only be ordered by a board-certifiedgenetic counsellor. “Part of our job involves helping patients makeappropriate and informed choices to reduce their risk of developingcancer, or in the case of patients who are in the early stages of thedisease’s progression, to reduce the risk of a recurrence, or to helpcontrol the disease in the case of advanced progression.” Dr ReemJawad al-Sulaiman, an American Board Certified Genetic Counsellor atNCCCR, said the genetic counselling and testing service uses amultidisciplinary and collaborative approach. A team of specialistsworks together to help patients understand their cancer risk as part of acomprehensive cancer risk assessment.