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Cancer and Cardiac Genetic Testing

At Coyne Medical we believe in the power of genetic testing to improve our health. That’s why we wanted to make high-quality genetic testing accessible to our patients.

You might be thinking, if I am healthy, why should I do genetic testing? The answer is simple. Everyone’s genes contain valuable information about their health. Preventative genetic testing can uncover risks to your health before symptoms develop. Our cancer and cardiac genetic testing looks at Gene variants. These are changes in your genes that can predispose to you developing certain diseases and conditions.

If you know you have an increased risk of a certain medical condition, it means you can do something about it. Every one of the over 140 genes that we test focuses on a condition that can be prevented or treated early.

Over 15% of healthy adults have a genetic variant that puts them at an increased risk of a condition such as cancer and heart disease. This type of preventative genetic testing is suitable for healthy adults. It is most useful for people who do not have a strong family history of cancer or cardiac conditions. If you or a family member has one of these conditions a different type of genetic testing, known as, diagnostic testing, may be suitable for you. If you’re unsure what type of genetic testing is best for you you can discuss it with your doctor.

Our cardiac genetic testing examines over 70 genes. These genes are associated with inherited cardiac conditions. These include conditions that can affect the heart muscle, known as cardiomyopathies, diseases that affect the heart rhythm, known as arrhythmias, inherited forms of high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well as disorders of blood clotting.

The cancer genetic testing looks at more than 60 genes which are related to inherited cancers including breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer.

The genetic testing panel also includes several other important inherited conditions including:

• Hereditary Haemochromatosis
• Alpha 1 Antitrypsin deficiency
• Malignant Hyperthermia susceptibility
• Wilsons Disease

There are three possible outcomes from our genetic testing. Negative, positive and carrier status. If the result is negative it means that the test did not pick up any genes that increase the risk of disease. It doesn’t mean that you will never develop one of the conditions tested for. This is because there are many other factors aside from genes that can contribute to developing a disease. As we learn more about genetics and disease it may be that your test results in the future will be updated to reflect new medical information. If this is the case, we will inform you immediately.

About 1 in 6 people will have a positive result in our cancer and cardiac genetic screening. This means that our lab has discovered a gene variant that increases the risk of you developing a certain medical condition. You will then be able to work with your doctor to determine what the next steps are for you. This may include options to prevent disease or increased surveillance to detect the disease at an earlier, more treatable stage.

You may also receive a result that shows that you are a carrier of a condition. This does not increase your risk of having the condition but it does mean that you may pass the gene on to your children. If you have children or are planning to have children then they may be at risk of having the condition if your partner also has the condition.

Now that you know more about genetics you may be thinking how the whole process works. Your doctor can either take a blood or saliva sample from you. The sample is then sent to our certified accredited laboratory where it undergoes cutting edge, next-generation sequencing. The result will be back to you within 3 weeks.

Our Cancer and Cardiac genetic screening tests can provide you with amazing insights. You and your doctor can use these insights to develop a personalised plan for health and wellness. But remember, your genetics is only one part of the puzzle. Proactive health care, regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle are also crucial for health and longevity.

Contact us to arrange your Cancer and Cardiac Genetics test or find out more here.