In Their Own Words

Genetic testing for cancer genes raises a host of psychological and ethical issues within the families where it can serve as an important cancer prevention tool. This book explains genetic counseling and genetic testing, reviews what we know about the cancers inherited mutations can cause, and describes the problems the author, a psychologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has encountered in her 10 years in this field. Patient vignettes and chapters on how cancer genetic testing affects marital relationships, children, relationships with extended family, and self-esteem are accompanied by descriptions of what can help patients and families to cope with the feelings knowledge of a possible hereditary predisposition can engender.