HJAR May/Jun 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAY / JUN 2026 41 Courtney Cross, MS, LCGC Genetic Counselor Highlands Oncology In addition to clinical considerations, cost is an important factor for many pa- tients. Many large genetic testing labs are in-network withmajor insurance companies. Genetic counselors are an important part of assessing which genetic testing labs have options for self-pay prices or financial as- sistance applications to make testing more affordable for patients. While celebrities and social media have increased awareness of genes such as BRCA1/2 and those associated with Lynch syndrome, there aremany additional genetic factors that influence cancer risk. Hereditary cancer is an ever-evolving field so genetic counselors inArkansas stay up-to-date with genetic research and genetic testing options to provide the best services to patients individually and further cancer care in the state. n REFERENCES R. Nagy et al., “Highly Penetrant Hereditary Can- cer Syndromes,” Oncogene 23, no. 38 (2004): 6445–70, https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1207714. Courtney Cross is a genetic counselor at Highlands Oncology specializing in hereditary cancer risk as- sessment, providing personalized education, co- ordinating genetic testing, and guiding individuals through their results.Anative of Fayetteville,Arkansas, she received a bachelor’s degree fromBaylor Univer- sity and earned amaster’s degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Genetic Counsel- ing program. She is certified in genetic counseling through theAmerican Board of Genetic Counselors and is licensed in the state of Arkansas. UAMS. Many practices also have options for telehealth appointments to increase access to these services for patients in other parts of Arkansas. Identifying Patients for Genetic Counseling A genetic counseling appointment con- sists of a detailed collection of a patient’s personal and family history of cancer to as- sess risk, an explanation of genes and their relation to cancer, discussion of testing op- tions, a review of benefits, risks, limitations, and cost, and coordination of testing and results disclosure. Both maternal and paternal family his- tory are important for assessing risk, even for hereditary breast and gynecological can- cers. Certain aspects of a patient’s personal or family history may be an indication that they should be referred to genetic counsel- ing to discuss the option of genetic testing. Some of those include: • Multiple family members with cancer; • Cancer at a younger age (50 years or younger); • Rare cancers or tumors (ovarian, pancreatic, male breast, paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma, medullary thyroid, etc.); • Metastatic prostate cancer; • Colon polyps (10 or more total); • A known mutation in the family; and • Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. While clinical guidelines outline specific factors that qualify patients for genetic test- ing, patients without known biological family health history and patients that are simply interested in knowing more about their he- reditary risks can also be referred for genetic counseling. Genetic Counseling in Oncology Practice Aprimary goal of genetic counseling is to help patients make an informed decision and understand the implications of hereditary cancer genetic testing. While knowledge can be empowering, it can also be anxiety-induc- ing. Patients differ in how much they want to learn about their cancer risk. While some patients may want comprehensive testing and to learnmore information, some prefer to focus only on genes related to their per- sonal or family history to limit unexpected results. Others may not want to know about their future risks of developing cancer. Ge- netic counselors are experts in having these conversations and helping people make per- sonalized decisions. Genetics counselors also support the psychosocial needs of patients. Discussing personal cancer journeys, family members that have experienced or died from cancer, or the potential to pass down hereditary can- cer gene mutations to children can evoke heavy emotions, which genetic counselors can help to process.