What do family cancer clinics provide?
Family cancer clinics provide counselling and information for families with a history of cancer on:
- inheriting cancer
- individual risk
- screening
- cancer risk reduction strategies
They also provide genetic testing where appropriate. The clinics are conducted through the public hospital system and there is no direct cost to the patient for consultation or genetic testing.
Who attends a family cancer clinic?
Types of families often referred to a clinic are:
- Families with three or more individuals with a specific type of cancer - often breast, ovarian or bowel cancer.
- Individuals with multiple cancers diagnosed at an unusually young age.
How can you attend a family cancer clinic?
Clinics differ from state to state. To attend a clinic, ask your GP, physician or surgeon to refer you to one most convenient for you. In some states you can telephone direct to self refer. When you attend a clinic you may see a genetic counsellor, medical geneticist and other medical specialists depending on the type of cancer.
Where are the clinics located?
Click here for a list of family cancer clinics in Australia.