My Breakthrough
What a GP needs to know about your family
If you have any concerns about your family history of cancer you should talk to your GP. Depending on your family history, you may be referred to a family history or genetics clinic.
You should take as much of the information below with you as possible. This can then be used to put together your family history. It is very important to remember that your risk assessment is based on the family history that you give your doctor. If other members of your family go on to develop cancer your risk assessment can change. So if there are further cases of breast cancer within the family then you should go back to your GP to update your family history.
- The current age of your blood related parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins, nephews and nieces. This is needed for both your mother's and your father's side of the family.
- The age of your brothers, sisters, sons, daughters and grandchildren.
- The age at which relatives died (whatever the cause).
- Whether any one of your relatives described above has had cancer of any kind, and if so, both their age when and part of the body where the cancer developed.
- Whether any one has had multiple cancers (for example if someone has had cancer in both breasts).
- Whether you have Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry (this is because gene changes that give an increased risk of breast cancer are common amongst Ashkenazi Jews).
If other members of your family go on to develop cancer your risk assessment
can change.
