What to Expect
Your Cancer Genetics Appointment
We are here for you and want you to be as comfortable as possible as you begin your care with us.
What to Bring to the Appointment
Patients should bring their patient identification card if they have been seen before at UNC and their insurance card and any other related forms required by their insurance company.
In addition, please bring in copies of any medical or family history information related to your visit. This may include prior genetic test results from you or a family member, family history information about the cancer in the family including the type and age at diagnosis.
Your Visit
Cancer genetics assessments are scheduled for one-hour consultations.
During their first visit, patients will meet with a genetics counselor. Some patients may also meet with a medical geneticist (pediatric cancer genetics). Patients should be prepared to talk about the medical history of their family. We will need information regarding family members who currently have cancer or who have had cancer in the past.
Note: It is important for us to know the age at which individuals were diagnosed with cancer, the type of cancer, who has had genetic testing, and what the genetic tests found.
Hereditary genetic testing may be recommended. This is most often performed through a standard lab blood draw. The genetic counselor will discuss medical insurance coverage of testing and possible costs with you.
The genetic counselor will discuss any next steps including appropriate cancer screening recommendations. These may or may not depend on a genetic test result.
The field of cancer genetics is rapidly expanding and advancing. We encourage all patients we counsel to stay in touch with us so that we can inform them about any new tests, or recommendations that might have an impact on them.
All sessions with cancer genetics clinical personnel are confidential. Every effort is made to protect the privacy of patient information.