For many people, the holiday season is dedicated to spending quality time with friends and family. But did you know that the holiday season is also a great time to learn more about your family’s health history?
We asked Riann Collar, PA, Cancer Prevention, Wellness and Survivorship, and Kelley Boster, MS, CGC, genetic counseling, Ascension Wisconsin, to share why collecting your family health history is important and how having a certain cancer or disease in your family can increase your risk.
Collecting your family history can help improve the level of care you receive
Knowing your family health history will help your healthcare provider determine if you are at an increased risk for certain diseases or cancers based on your family’s history.
It can also help you and your healthcare providers determine how to be proactive regarding prevention and early detection. After learning more about what diseases or cancers run in your family, your provider may recommend targeted screenings, testing or preventative measures based on your individual risk.
Having a certain cancer or disease in your family can increase your risk
Having a specific cancer diagnosis in your family can increase your risk of also being diagnosed with cancer.
A hereditary cause of cancer is more common when there are early ages of cancer diagnosis, rarer cancer types, individuals with multiple cancer diagnoses in their lifetime or clusters of certain types of cancer in the family.
“I always tell my patients that we have no control over what we inherit from our parents or what we pass on to our kids,” said Boster. “We do have the ability though to use that information to be proactive with our care, whether that be through lifestyle changes, more frequent screenings and imaging, or even with preventative surgeries.”
Starting a conversation about family health history
You can use family gatherings this holiday season as an opportunity to talk to your family members about their health history.
Collar recommends that you collect information from your close relatives from both sides of your family including your parents, siblings, grandparents, aunt, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Important information to gather about your family members include
- their name
- their current age (or the age they passed away)
- the type of disease, condition or cancer they were diagnosed with
- the age of their diagnosis
When discussing family history with your loved ones, it is important to have this conversation in a private environment where your family member feels comfortable sharing their medical history. It is also helpful to ask how they would prefer to share their health history with you. Some loved ones may prefer to write their information down instead of verbally sharing their history.
Our Cancer Prevention and Wellness care team provides a guide and printable collection tool to help you document your family health history. Once you complete the guide, you and your doctor can discuss your family medical history, how genes are linked to certain types of cancer and what medical conditions and lifestyle choices can increase your risk for developing cancer.
Understanding and managing your risk for cancer
It is important to understand that just because you have a family history of a certain disease or cancer, does not necessarily mean you will get it.
If you have risk factors for specifically developing cancer, talk with your doctor to determine if the Ascension Wisconsin Cancer Prevention and Wellness Program is right for you.
Learn more at ascension.org/WICancerPrevention.