HOW DOES YOUR SERVICE WORK?
- All appointments are held remotely through zoom.
- Schedule at your own convenience here.
- When you schedule an appointment, you will receive a confirmation email that will contain a link to complete a questionnaire about your medical and family history. Having this information prior to the appointment will ensure that your appointment is as productive as possible. If there are questions that you don’t know the answer to, don’t worry! Just fill out the questionnaire with whatever information you have.
- If you qualify for genetic testing and decide to proceed with this testing, we will coordinate this for you. Genetic testing is usually done with a saliva sample that you provide at home.
- Following your appointment, you will receive documentation of everything that was discussed. If you were referred by a Healthcare Provider, they will also receive documentation of everything that we discussed.
WHAT IS A GENETIC COUNSELOR?
Genetic counselors are healthcare professionals trained in medical genetics and counseling. They hold masters degrees in genetic counseling and are recognized as healthcare professionals by the World Health Organization, the CDC and major medical societies. Genetic counselors pass a national board exam to become Certified Genetic Counselors (CGC) and must maintain this credential by recertifying every 5 years by examination or by participating in appropriate continuing education.
Genetic counselors work with individuals and families who are at risk for or have genetic conditions and provide education and support. Genetic counselors work in a variety of settings and specialty areas. At Apple Tree Genetics we specialize in hereditary cancer and provide genetic counseling via telehealth.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A GENETIC COUNSELING APPOINTMENT?
We will review your medical history and family history which can help determine whether you have an increased risk to develop cancer and whether genetic testing might be a good idea for you. We will review your genetic test results in detail and determine what the results mean for you and your family. If you are at increased risk to develop cancer based on your family history or your genetic test results, we will discuss ways to manage that risk (this may include lifestyle modifications, increased screening, medication, or preventative surgery). We will also discuss implications for relatives.
WHO SHOULD SEE A GENETIC COUNSELOR?
Many people may benefit from meeting with a genetic counselor! Although most cancer is not hereditary, below are some red flags that might suggest that you have a hereditary cancer syndrome in your family and would benefit from meeting with a genetic counselor:
- Genetic test results show a pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant (aka mutation) in a gene associated with hereditary cancer
- Genetic test results show a Variant of Uncertain Significance in a gene associated with hereditary cancer
- Personal or family history of ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, aggressive prostate cancer, or male breast cancer at any age
- Personal or family history of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or endometrial cancer under age 50
- Personal history of 10 or more adenomatous colon polyps
- Personal or family history of rare tumors/cancers (ex: retinoblastoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, medullary thyroid cancer, sarcoma)
- Multiple primary cancers in the same person
- Many relatives with the same type of cancer
- Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish ancestry (this ethnic group is more likely to have genetic predispositions for cancer)
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF GENETIC COUNSELING?
- Find out whether you have a higher risk of certain cancers
- Discover ways to reduce your risk of cancer or detect cancer early
- Understand the risk to your relatives and what they can do to be proactive
SHOULD I SEE A GENETIC COUNSELOR IF I ALREADY HAD GENETIC TESTING?
If you had genetic testing, you may have questions about exactly what your test results mean for you and your family. All of these questions can be answered during a genetic counseling appointment.
If your genetic test results were POSITIVE, you may be wondering:
- How should I deal with the cancer risks?
- Am I having all the right screening?
- Are there ways that I can reduce my risk of cancer?
- Are there ways to avoid passing down a genetic mutation to future generations?
- Are other relatives at risk for cancer?
- Should my children, siblings, and other relatives have genetic testing? How and when should they get this testing?
- Where can I find reliable information about my genetic condition online?
- What resources are available to me?
- Am I eligible for any research studies?
If your genetic test results were NEGATIVE, you may be wondering:
- Do I need additional genetic testing?
- What exactly is my risk of cancer?
- Is standard screening enough or do I need more intensive screening based on my family history?
- Is there anything else I can do to figure out why there is so much cancer in my family?
- Am I eligible for any research studies?
If your genetic test results were uncertain (VARIANT OF UNCERTAIN SIGNIFICANCE), you may be wondering:
- Does this mean that I’m at higher risk for cancer?
- Do I need additional genetic testing?
- Should my relatives be tested for this variant of uncertain significance?
- Is there anything else I can do to figure out why there is so much cancer in my family?
- Am I eligible for any research studies?
DO YOU ACCEPT INSURANCE?
At this time, insurance is not accepted for patient services. But this also means that you won’t have to deal with prior authorizations, co-pays, or unexpected bills. You pay one flat fee when you book your appointment and that’s it. The fee for new patient visits is $149 USD and the fee for follow-up visits is $49 USD. You can pay for your genetic counseling appointment with your HSA/FSA account!
We can provide you with an itemized “superbill” that you can submit to your insurance to request coverage.
HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY GENETIC COUNSELING APPOINTMENT?
- Collect information about your family medical history, focused on the types of cancers and ages at diagnosis
- Collect your own medical records specifically in regards to cancer history and cancer screening
- Have available the results of genetic tests (yours and/or family members), if applicable
- Write down a list of questions and concerns