High Risk Cancer Program (PARC)

What is PARC?

PARC is Hospital Metropolitano’s high risk cancer program, which was created with the goal of identifying patients and family members with high risk of developing cancer, with the purpose of o¬ering personalized and comprehensive cancer prevention strategies including genetic counseling, personalized cancer screening and chemo-prevention.

What is germline genetic testing?

This genetic test can help us understand if your cancer diagnosis and/or your family history is due to something hereditary, meaning something that is being passed on in the family.

How does genetic testing work?

• Genetic testing looks at your genes
• Genes are like the recipe that tells your body how to function
Some genes protect you from cancer or other diseases, and if this disease fighting genes do not work correctly, then you have a higher chance or risk to get the disease
• The genetic testing can tell us if these genes are working correctly or not.

What is the purpose of genetic testing?

• To understand why you develop cancer
• To help plan how to treat your cancer, such as surgery or chemotherapy
• To give information to your family member. This can help your family understand their risk for cancer or another condition.
• To help prevent or lower the chance of a future cancer or other condition.

Is the test di_cult or invasive?

Genetic testing is usually done on blood or saliva

What are the possible results for genetic testing and what do they mean?

Positive

• This result could explain why you develop cancer
• We may learn your risk to get a new cancer or another disease
• Family members may need testing to see if they are also positive

Negative

• We did not find a genetic explanation for your cancer
• Your recommendation should be based on your personal and family history; other family members
• may still need genetic testing

Uncertain

• This result is not fully understood at this time
• The laboratory will continue to gather more information about this uncertain result
• Recommendations for you and your family will most likely be based on the family history, just like a negative result.