Refer to the Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Program

We welcome your requests for evaluation of children who have cancers with known hereditary links, genetic defects associated with cancer development, or children with family histories that place them at a higher risk for cancer development. To refer a patient, please contact Kristin Zelley, MS.

Benefits to referring physicians

The team works closely with primary care physicians, who are often the first to spot signs of a genetic predisposition to cancer in families. For these physicians, the team:

  • Provides a comprehensive, detailed written review of a patient's consultation
  • Collaborates in the medical management of patients
  • Recommends patient referrals to additional specialists, as needed
  • Explains and interprets genetic testing results
  • Provides educational materials on cancer genetics, genetic testing and cancer predisposition syndromes

Common reasons to refer a patient to our program

A child and/or family may benefit from a referral to our program if they have:

  • A cancer with a known hereditary basis in a subset of cases such as:
  • Syndromic features that suggest an underlying genetic defect associated with cancer development, such as:
  • A positive family cancer history that includes any of the following:
    • Two first-degree relatives (parent, child, sibling) with cancer
    • More than one child with cancer
    • Three or more relatives with the same type of cancer (on the same side of the family)
    • Earlier than expected age of cancer onset
    • Bilateral or multifocal cancers
    • Multiple primary tumors
    • Evidence for autosomal dominant transmission (individuals with cancer in successive generations on the same side of the family)
    • Constellation of tumors consistent with a particular familial syndrome:
  • A deletion of a tumor suppressor gene based on cytogenetic analysis
  • A family member with an inheritable genetic defect, so other family members might also carry the same gene defect