Leading the way
Roswell Park is the only cancer center with a department like this, dedicated to cancer prevention and wellness for those at high risk for cancer due to their genetics or family history.
Once we have the results of your genetic testing, you’ll have an appointment where we’ll explain the findings and what they mean for you and your family. Then, we’ll outline where you go from here.
If you do have a genetic variant that is associated with cancer, this does NOT mean that cancer is inevitable. You can take charge of your health, and we can help you reduce your risk, detect early warning signs, and take steps to prevent cancer altogether. Let us worry about cancer so you can live your life.
We focus on caring for you
The science around genetic medicine is advancing at a rapid rate and you need specialists at the forefront of the latest strategies to guide you and your family. Your plan forward may include:
- Routine exams with our providers. We coordinate the care you need and integrate measures to optimize your wellness, such as smoking cessation, exercise, diet/nutrition and mental health.
- Care at Roswell Park’s specialty clinics. Roswell Park has programs focused on patients at high risk for breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancers, as well as clinics for patients with specific hereditary syndromes, such as von Hippel-Lindau or neurofibromatosis. Our experts understand these rare conditions and your unique needs.
- Personalized precision cancer surveillance. We will provide ways to increase early detection of any associated cancers specifically tailored to your risks. This may include more frequent cancer screenings like mammography, colonoscopy, imaging such as MRI or ultrasound, specific testing to examine your pancreas, thyroid and any other areas of concern.
- Prevention strategies. Some people with certain hereditary cancer syndromes may benefit from interventions such as medications, chemoprevention or even preventive.
- Fertility preservation options. Depending on your family planning goals, you may opt for preserving eggs, sperm or embryos before undergoing any treatment or surgery. Or, you may be able to undergo PGD-IVF to have a baby who does not have the predisposition.
- Clinical trials and cancer registries. Participating in clinical trials and cancer registries helps advance the science of genomics and broaden the understanding of how genetic variants are involved in cancer susceptibility and treatment response.