Certified Genetic Counselors A Crucial Clinical Resource in the Management of Patients with Suspected Hereditary Cancer Syndromes

The role of the cancer genetic counselor in the management of patients with cancer is discussed in this article. This includes explaining what a genetic counselor is trained to do and how they are credentialed and licensed. In addition, the article explains who to refer for cancer genetic counseling. Once referred, the article describes what actually happens in a pretest and posttest cancer genetic counseling session, use of a cancer genetic registry, and how it can help in practice is discussed. Finally, several mechanisms for identifying a cancer genetic counselor at one's institution are outlined.