Genetic Screening
Genetic screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. Genetic screening can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread.
Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more likely to get certain types of cancer. They also study the things we do and the things around us to see if they cause cancer. This information helps doctors recommend genetic screening for cancer, which genetic screening tests should be used, and how often the tests should be done.
It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily think you have cancer if he or she suggests a genetic screening test. Genetic screening tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms.
If a genetic screening test result is abnormal, you may need to have more tests done to find out if you have cancer. These are called diagnostic tests.
Learn more about genetic screening at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University. As a national leader in cancer care & research and ranked among the best treatment facilities in the country, it is one of only 38 cancer centers in the nation designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center. NCI designation is an assurance of excellent care and comprehensive treatment options, including access to the latest clinical trials.
Genetic Screening
Copyright:
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
and North Carolina Baptist Hospital. All rights reserved.
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, NC 27157
(336) 716-2011