Tag:

Genetic Testing

'It May Have Saved My Life': Understanding The Power Of Genetic Counseling 'It May Have Saved My Life': Understanding The Power Of Genetic Counseling
'It May Have Saved My Life': Understanding The Power Of Genetic Counseling Understanding your hereditary risk for illness can be scary. But for Erin, a Westchester resident and mother of two boys, that knowledge was also potentially lifesaving thanks to Northern Westchester Hospital. Concerned about an elevated cancer risk, Erin voluntarily spoke with a genetic counselor through Northern Westchester Hospital's Genetic Counseling Program. After a detailed education and evaluation session, Erin was diagnosed as BRCA+. Having this gene mutation meant she was significantly more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer, and had a likelihood of passing the…
Genetic Counselors Offer Lifesaving Support To At-Risk Patients Genetic Counselors Offer Lifesaving Support To At-Risk Patients
Genetic Counselors Offer Lifesaving Support To At-Risk Patients To someone with a family history of cancer, a possible diagnosis can feel like a game of chance or roll of the genetic dice. "What are my odds of developing cancer?" and "How can I prevent this?" are common questions to consider. According to Nancy Cohen, a certified genetic counselor at Northern Westchester Hospital, there are answers to these questions. More importantly, through genetic testing, there may also be lifesaving measures to be taken. "It’s really important for a patient to fully understand what they can learn from doing genetic testing before deciding to do that test," said Co…