Each year, at least 189,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Many
of them wonder if they are in the 25 percent that have a familial
or inherited form of the disease.
Bryn Mawr Hospital's Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment and Genetics
Program is designed to evaluate your prostate cancer risk. You will gain
an understanding about what it means to be at average, moderate or high
risk for prostate cancer. With this knowledge, you will be able to make
informed decisions about cancer screening, prevention and risk
reduction.
How the Program Works
Program participants meet with both a certified genetic counselor and a
registered nurse who is focused on cancer prevention. The expertise of a
medical oncologist and an outpatient oncology social worker are
available as needed.
To estimate prostate cancer risk, personal history factors such as
prostate screening habits, history of benign prostatic lesions or
previous cancers, diet, lifestyle and ethnicity are important to
consider.
Because prostate cancer can have a hereditary or familial basis, a
family cancer history is also obtained and reviewed. Certain genes have
been linked to an increase in prostate cancer risk, and many genes
associated with hereditary prostate cancer have yet to be discovered.
Families in which there are multiple cases of prostate cancer or
individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer under the age of 55 are
encouraged to consider being part of research efforts in this arena.
Who Can Participate
This program is open to any male concerned about the risk of prostate
cancer. Men with the following risk factors may be particularly
interested:
-
Personal history of prostate cancer before age 55
-
Personal history of benign prostatic disease
-
Father/brother with prostate cancer
-
Two or more relatives with prostate cancer on the same side
of the family
-
Relatives with breast cancer before age 50 and/or with ovarian
cancer
-
African-American or Jewish ancestry
Contact Us
For more information on the Bryn Mawr Hospital Prostate Cancer Risk
Assessment and Genetics Program, or to schedule an appointment, please
call 484.337.8767.
