Our Practice｜Features of the Department｜Doctors and Staff
Our Practice
The Department of Immunethrapeutics & Gene Oncology provides the following services.
- Cancer genetic counseling (including management of cancer screening plans and psychosocial support for patients and their relatives)
We deal with hereditary cancer syndromes such as hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (hereditary colorectal and endometrial cancer) - Genetic diagnosis of familial cancers
- Provision of information on genes and genetic testing in the clinical practice
Features of the Department
As the department of the cancer-specialized hospital, we give advices on patients’ health management and care for their families about cancers.
Cancer Genetic Counseling
Some one who developed cancer at a young age might worry about the risk of other cancers. Another might have many family members with cancer and be afraid about the possibility of a familial cancer. Others might have been advised by the physician to consult a specialist about the possibility of a genetic disease.
In such cases, it is important to receive genetic counseling from a specialized physician or genetic counselor.
In cancer genetic counseling, we first organize the information about you and your families such as age, and the types of cancer when they were diagnosed (family history), to consider the possibility of a hereditary cancer.
If there is a possibility of a hereditary cancer, we explain what it is, including the characteristics of the syndrome, diagnostic methods, preventive measures and treatments. At this time, we also discuss whether or not to perform genetic testing. It is necessary to well understand its significance and precaution before you take genetic testing.
If your genetic test result that you have an increased risk of cancer, we propose measures to prevent cancer, such as regular lifelong cancer screening. If you feel uneasy about your risk, we provide psychological support so that you can live with confidence.
In addition, the results of your genetic testing for hereditary cancer can be useful to the health management, such as early cancer detection, of your relatives including brothers, sisters, and children. We take sufficient time for the consultation to explain the details.
In our department, genetic counseling is provided by clinical geneticist and genetic counselor instructors and specialists certified by the Japan Society of Human Genetics.
Genetic Testing for Specific Hereditary Cancer
Examples of genetic tests performed at our hospital (related hereditary cancer)
- Genetic testing for BRCA1/BRCA2 (HBOC:Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer )
- Genetic testing for MLH1/MSH2/PMS2/MSH6 (Lynch Syndrome)
- Genetic testing for APC (FAP:Familial adenomatous polyposis)
- Genetic testing for MEN1(MEN1:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1)
- Genetic testing for RET(MEN2:Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2)
- Genetic testing for PTEN (Cowden Syndrome)
- Genetic testing for TP53 (Li-Fraumeni Syndrome)
- Genetic testing for RB1 (Retinoblastoma)
Several known genetic factors are involved in the development of cancer. Those listed above are just some of them.
The first step is usually to narrow down the most suspected hereditary cancer syndrome based on the patient's medical history and family history of cancer and then to examine the gene responsible for the hereditary cancer syndrome. If you find that your family's cancer is due to a genetic change, consider genetic testing for relatives based on the result.
However, depending on the family history, there may be multiple candidate genes for the first genetic testing.
In such cases, previously, the candidate genes had to be tested in order, but now it is possible to test multiple genes at the same time by using the "multi-gene panel testing*".
We will propose appropriate genetic testing including multi-gene panel testing according to your medical history and family history.
* Multi-gene panel testing: A test that examines multiple genes at once. For example, among breast cancer patients, BRCA1 / 2 gene is the most common cause of genetic changes, but other genes are also candidates due to family history. The a multi-gene panel test can be used to examine. The BRCA1 / 2 gene at the same time as other genes associated with the development of breast cancer.
For more information about the multi-gene panel tests conducted at our hospital, we will introduce them in genetic counseling.
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