How to refer

Refer if any of the following apply:

• More than three cases of breast cancer in the family
• Two cases of breast cancer in the family where there is one case including:
  • Breast cancer diagnosed before the age of 40
  • Bilateral breast cancer with first diagnosis before the age of 50
  • Male breast cancer at any age
• One case of breast cancer in the family where there is also a relative with:
  • Ovarian cancer at any age
  • Prostate cancer before the age of 60
  • Pancreatic cancer before the age of 60
• One case of breast or ovarian cancer in the family and of Ashkenazi Jewish or Polish ethnicity.

Refer if any of the following apply:

• Two or more cases of bowel cancer in the family diagnosed before age 50
• One case of bowel cancer in the family diagnosed before age 40
• Combination of large bowel, small bowel, endometrial, ovarian, gastric, brain, or urothelial transitional cell carcinoma in the family
• One case where there are greater than three cumulative adenomatous polyps by age 30 in an individual
• Greater than 20 cumulative adenomatous polyps at any age in an individual
• Gastric cancer diagnosed before age 50 in an individual.

Refer if any of the following apply:

• Ovarian cancer diagnosed before age 70 in an individual. This includes high grade invasive non-mucinous ovarian, fallopian or peritoneal cancer
• Endometrial cancer diagnosed before age 50 in an individual
• A combination of endometrial, ovarian, large bowel, small bowel, gastric, brain or urothelial transitional cell carcinoma in the family
• Cervix cancer may have a familial component but we do not encourage referral to the clinic as recommendations for relatives are for standard care (2 yearly pap smears).

Please contact the Hereditary Cancer Clinic to discuss referral if any of the following apply:

• If there is a family history of multiple cases of the same type of cancer
• If there is a family history of rare cancer such as medullary thyroid cancer, multifocal/bilateral renal cell cancer, phaeochromocytoma, paraganglioma, sarcoma, glioblastoma, choroid plexus carcinoma, retinoblastoma, adreno-cortical adenocarcinoma.

Some individuals find out that a relative of theirs has already had genetic testing. If a gene fault is identified, then relatives are encouraged to visit the clinic for their own genetic counselling.

To refer to the Hereditary Cancer Clinic please use the Referral Letter.