HJAR Sep/Oct 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2022 53 Jennifer Campbell, MS, LCGC Genetic Counselor CARTI Cancer Center plan. Next, we’ll get his daughters in to per- form their testing and, if necessary, screen- ing and/or management plans started. There are many benefits to genetic test- ing for hereditary cancer risk. Often, indi- viduals who are found to have an increased risk of developing cancer can take action to prevent or detect cancers early in their development. Earlier and more frequent screening is often recommended for those who carry certain genetic changes or mu- tations. Other options can include having surgery before cancer occurs and/or tak- ing oral medications that can reduce cancer risk. This not only leads to better patient out- comes, but can also reduce a patient’s over- all out-of-pocket cost for care and treatment. Healthcare providers should be aware of high-risk factors for hereditary cancer predisposition and encourage qualify- ing patients to seek out genetic counsel- ing and high-risk management services. n Jennifer Campbell, MS, LCGC is a genetic counselor at CARTI cancer center. She is board-certified in genetic counseling and is a member the Arkansas Cancer Coalition as well as the National Society of Genetic Counselors. She earned a bachelor’s degree in genetics, cell Biology and development from University of Minnesota in Twin Cities and a master’s degree from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. team who can still make recommenda- tions for high-risk follow-up based on their personal medical and family history. New guidelines suggest universal genetic testing for all individuals with a personal his- tory of breast and colon cancer. Guidelines also recommend genetic testing for indi- viduals with a history of ovarian, pancreatic, male breast cancer or rare endocrine tumors, as well as individuals with endometrial, kid- ney, or stomach cancer under the age of 60. Other referral indications are cancers at an early age, rare cancers, multiple cancers in the family, and family members of pa- tients who test positive for a genetic muta- tion. Results from genetic testing can have a positive ripple effect on future genera- tions. I recently had a patient test positive for a pathogenic genetic change, in other words mutation, in BRCA1. His mother passed away at a young age from breast and ovarian cancer, and he was worried for his daughters. Since he had positive re- sults, we are getting him into our Cancer Genetics and Risk Management Clinic to discuss the results in more detail, and he will see my partner, Meagan Cupan, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, AOCNP (Advanced Oncol- ogy Certified Nurse Practitioner), the same day for an individualized risk management AS MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS, we spend a lot of our time digging deeper to find re- sults for our patients. I started my profes- sional career as a forensic DNA analyst at the Arkansas State Crime Lab before training as a genetic counselor, so dig- ging deeper is kind of my specialty. Genet- ic counselors have advanced training in medical genetics and counseling, and our work can be life-changing for those who come to us seeking answers. If you have a client you feel would benefit from genetic counseling, here’s what they can expect. First, your patient will undergo an evalu- ation of their personal and family history in order to coordinate the most appropri- ate and up-to-date genetic testing and help them to understand complex genetic infor- mation. Next, they should expect commu- nication about genetic test results and the most current national recommendations for targeted screening (as applicable) that relate to the patient as well as the patient’s entire medical team, including referring provid- ers, specialty providers, primary care phy- sicians, as well as making additional refer- rals as needed. If patients decide they are not ready to move forward with genetic testing, it might be that we refer them to a genetics and high-risk management “Results from genetic testing can have a POSITIVE RIPPLE EFFECT on future generations.”