The Cheyenne Regional Cancer Center provides genetic cancer risk assessments to help individuals determine if they have a genetic variant that could put them at a higher risk for developing cancer.

Referrals for genetic counseling are based on many factors, including a patient’s personal history of cancer or other health history; a family history that is suspicious for genetic cancer syndromes; or a patient whose family members have tested positive for genetic cancer syndromes.

To learn more about the Cheyenne Regional Cancer Center’s genetic cancer risk assessment program, please call (307) 634-9311.

Genetic cancer risk assessment and testing: What to expect

During an assessment, we’ll review the patient’s personal and family health history, as well as the patient’s medical record, for cancer and other conditions. We’ll also discuss potential benefits and risks of testing, testing options, insurance coverage and potential out-of-pocket costs.

An individual who meets the criteria and decides to move forward will need to provide a blood or saliva sample for the test. Tumor tissue from a biopsy or surgery might also be tested.

Urgent results are available within about six days, and non-urgent results within about six weeks.

During their appointment to review testing results, patients will:

• Receive an explanation of their results, including whether a pathogenic (cancer-causing) variant was identified
• Learn what the results indicate in terms of their risk for cancer
• Receive recommendations for cancer prevention strategies
• Discuss potential implications for family members, including if genetic counseling and testing are advised and any recommendations for cancer risk management

Results and recommendations will then be sent to the patient’s referring provider.

While infrequent, follow-up visits can serve as a beneficial time to update patient and family history, determine whether guideline prevention strategies have changed since the patient was last counseled (and whether the patient’s current medical management reflects those changes) and to notify the patient about any new information from data and research regarding past results.