“With donor support, BC Cancer can be one of the first in the world to test upfront genetic screening that could eliminate a diagnosis in the first place.”
– Dr. Kasmintan Schrader, co-director, BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program
Hereditary Cancer
What is Hereditary Cancer?
About 10 percent of cancers are hereditary, and occur as gene mutations that increases cancer risk are passed down from a parent to a child.
BC Cancer’s Hereditary Cancer Program, led by Medical Geneticist Dr. Kasmintan Schrader and Medical Oncologist Dr. Sophie Sun, performs genetic testing on tumors to identify if a patient’s family is at risk of cancer.
This program is an exciting advancement in cancer prevention, and early detection.
Hereditary Cancer Explained
The Progress is Real
To date, the HCP team has:
- Obtained pilot data that led to additional provincial funding to adopt large group genetic counselling as standard of care
- Improved patient access to genetic testing by decreasing wait times with the large group model
- Improved identification of patients and families with hereditary cancer who otherwise would not have been eligible for HCP-funded testing
- Enabled HCP outreach across B.C. including large group counselling sessions in Kelowna, Nanaimo and Victoria
Donate now to make an impact for all British Columbians.