Meet the Experts

Cristina Flanagan Duran

Genetics Counselor with Miami Cancer Institute

Videos

Test for Hereditary Cancer

Cristina Flanagan Duran, Genetics Counselor with Miami Cancer Institute, explains there are genetic tests that exist for hereditary cancer predisposition; for example, for people that are planning to start a family and would like to see if they carry a faulty gene for a genetic condition that can be inherited. She says they also have screening tests for women in the early stages of pregnancy for chromosome problems.

Etiology of Breast Cancer

Cristina Flanagan Duran, Genetics Counselor with Miami Cancer Institute, explains 70% of cancers are due to multifactorial causes; they cannot explain why it happens, but people have risks to develop cancer. For example, all women have a 12% risk of getting breast cancer. She highlights 10% of breast cancers are because of hereditary causes, but she says the percentage is growing and it might be around 15%.

Genetic Testing for Hereditary Cancers

Dr. Arelis Martir-Negron, Medical Geneticist with Miami Cancer Institute, says in the future the majority of people will have genetic testing, even if they do not have family history, because they are curious and genetic testing is less expensive. Cristina Flanagan Duran, Genetics Counselor with Miami Cancer Institute, explains doctors want people to know exactly what they are getting into, that they are prepared to find out the results.

Genes Associated with Breast Cancer

Cristina Flanagan Duran, Genetics Counselor with Miami Cancer Institute, says BRCA 1, BRCA 2, and PTEN are high risk genes for breast cancer. Women that have them have about 70% of chances of suffering from breast cancer. Dr. Arelis Martir-Negron, Medical Geneticist with Miami Cancer Institute, explains PTEN is also associated with a condition called Cowden syndrome.

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