Medical Services • Genetic Counseling

How the NCH Genetic Counseling Team is Here for You

At Northwest Community Hospital, we care about our patients and their families. We recognize the important role of genetics in disease susceptibility and that's why we've developed a genetic counseling and genetic testing program to help you identify and manage your hereditary risk for breast cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and other hereditary cancer risks.

Our genetic risk assessment program offers compassionate counseling, optional genetic testing as indicated, and suggestions for early detection and risk reduction strategies.

How the NCH genetic counseling program works

At your genetic counseling appointment, your NCH genetic counselor will:

• Take a detailed personal and family history
• Perform a comprehensive hereditary cancer risk assessment
• Discuss risk reduction strategies and outcomes, including the role of genetic testing
• Offer information and support to assist you as you consider available options

This information will then be used to help create a cancer screening and prevention plan, which may include a schedule for breast cancer screenings, colorectal cancer screenings, prostate cancer screenings and more. Your plan might also include:

• Healthy eating tips
• Suggested exercise regimen
• Lifestyle changes
• Recommendations for further physical exams or laboratory tests

This customized prevention plan can help reduce your hereditary cancer risk and guide your medical management decisions.

Find out if genetic counseling is right for you. Contact our genetic counselor, Avis Gibons, at 847.618.6662.