NCCN Guidelines for referral to genetics counseling

lekker

I came across this list and wanted to share.  It summarizes the criteria for a doctor to use in considering a referral to a genetics counselor.  It's great because it's not just taking possible BRCA mutations into account, but also Li Fraumeni, Cowden's, Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer and others.  I share this so when a primary care doc or onc (my personal belief is that many doctors have very little knowledge about genetics) says "there's no basis for testing you", you can check for yourself. This does not mean that your specific insurance will pay for a referral or testing, but quoting the  NCCN guidelines might help if you meet their criteria.

http://www.ccjm.org/content/81/1/31/T2.large.jpg

Blessings2011

Good information, lekker!

Fortunately, Kaiser was kind enough to refer me to a Geneticist, even though I didn't meet the criteria. (Mom was dx'd at age 60, so was I; cancer does not run in our family; I have no biological children for whom it would make a difference...) It was a phone appointment.

Even though having a defined genetic component would not have made a difference in my case, talking to the counselor was comforting. 

Warrior_Woman

I qualified for genetic counseling because I am Ashkenazi and my mother was adopted so my maternal blood lineage is a ghost.  I qualified for my insurance company to pay in full not only for my BRCA testing but the more extensive genetic testing for the less common BC genes.  It turns out I am BRCA - but I do have one of those less common BC genes.  Fortunately it isn't linked to any other cancers nor does it increase my recurrence risk.  It does validate my BMX decision.