Genetic counseling

Genetic counseling is an interactive communication, professionalism and education helps in evaluation of cancer development based on hereditary, physiological changes, changes in environment and life style. Ultimate aim of genetic counseling is to prevent cancer and also to retard the growth of cancer by early detection. Genetic counseling provides more deep knowledge about the integration of gene location and suspicion with the oncological studies and testing of cancer development. Genetic counseling helps in outlining of evolutionary relationship, assessing risk posed by cancer and better understanding of genetic traits.

Elements of genetic counseling

Following are the traditional elements of genetic counseling

• Accurate diagnosis of genetic history of individual
• Predisposition
• Sources of cancer estimation
• Prediction of genetic inheritance
• Risk of cancer development in fortune
• Integration of genetic results with medical biology and facts
• Predicting chance of risk occurrence
• Risk of handling ways
• Family pedigree outline frame development
• Medical reports gathering
• Education on current practice
• Long term follow up
• Moral support

Components of Genetic counseling

• Target population
• Counseling team
• Gathering related information
  • Educational component
  • Concepts of cancer and cancer risk factors
  • Role of family history in cancer risk assessment
  • Role of genes in cancer development
• Assignment of risk
• Interpretation of genetic testing results
  • True positive
  • True negative
  • Indeterminant
  • Inconclusive
• Genetic management studies

Genetic counseling effectiveness

By assessing common predictors of genetic response is learnt through many techniques. Maximum utilization of genetic counseling is integrated with social status of life, educational status and economical status. Self referred individuals, individuals at high risk of cancer and more educational status grasp almost most of the informations disseminated in proper sense. Multiple counseling helps in better understanding of genetic traits and retention of information. Genetic counseling results are reflected in his/her lifetime and are combo of emotional, scientific and value judgments.

Questions:

• How genetic counseling helps in development of family pedigree?
• Describe components of counseling program in detail.
• How genetic counseling helps in interpretation of genetic testing results?
• What is the need for psychosocial support? How genetic counseling can provide psychosocial support?