DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Hereditary and High-Risk Screening Program in 2017 has announced that 800 individuals (male and female) were referred to the Hereditary Cancer and High-Risk Screening Clinic for evaluation associated with their risk of cancer, last year.
2,029 patients have benefited from genetic assessments, resulting in decreased cancer risk, early detection, and targeted treatment since the establishment of the Clinic in 2013.
The genetic counseling and testing service, which is part of the Hereditary and High-Risk Screening Clinic at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), provides a comprehensive genetic risk assessment for patients who are concerned about their hereditary cancer risk because of a personal and/or family history.
The multidisciplinary clinic aims to identify patients at high risk of developing cancer due to young-onset diagnosis, a strong family history, or a positive genetic test result. Staff at the clinic provide targeted therapies, including prophylactic surgery (surgery as a preventive measure) and chemoprevention (use of medication to lower the risk or prevent cancer), and work with patients to incorporate prevention strategies into their life that can help reduce their cancer risk.
Dr Salha Bujassoum, Senior Consultant, Hematology and Oncology, and Director of Hereditary and High-Risk Screening Program , , while cancer is a common disease, some individuals are at greater risk of developing it due to inherited gene faults (mutations). She says inherited gene faults are responsible for around five to ten percent of all cancers.
“Greater awareness of the role genetics can play in causing certain cancers, as well as increased knowledge of the screening tools available at HMC, has led to more patients requesting genetic counseling and testing,” said Dr Bujassoum.
Genetic testing examines a patient’s DNA for gene faults (mutations). According to Dr. Bujassoum, genetic testing for cancer is typically recommended for individuals who are diagnosed with the disease at a very young age and for individuals who have a strong family history of cancer, such as individuals who have multiple cases of cancer in their family.
Currently, genetic testing is available to screen for gene faults that increase an individual’s risk of breast, bowel, ovarian, womb, and prostate cancers. Dr. Bujassoum notes that these tests can only be ordered by a board-certified genetic counselor.
“Part of our job involves helping patients make appropriate and informed choices to reduce their risk of developing cancer, or in the case of patients who are in the early stages of the disease’s progression, to reduce the risk of a recurrence, or to help control the disease in the case of advanced progression,” added Dr. Bujassoum.
She added that genetic counseling also plays an important role for patients who have been diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. In these cases, specific information about the genetic mutation can help guide treatment.
She cited the example of a medication recently approved for clinical use that targets the BRCA gene in breast and ovarian cancer patients, as well as a targeted therapy approved for colon and endometrial (uterine) cancers that is available for patients who have Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that is associated with a higher risk of developing certain cancers.
