{"id":107,"date":"2022-10-17T16:46:35","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T21:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/?p=107"},"modified":"2026-01-28T12:00:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T18:00:44","slug":"hereditary-breast-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/hereditary-breast-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast Cancer Risk and Genetic Counseling"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"panel body-content\"><div class=\"panel__container\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Breast Cancer Risk and Genetic Counseling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jamie &amp; Schmidt_Genetics High Risk\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YFPYdPHL13o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">J<strong>aime Malone, MS, CGC &amp; Rachael Schmidt, APRN-NP<\/strong> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hereditary Cancer Foundation<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hereditarycancer.org\/\u200b\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.hereditarycancer.org\/\u200b\">www.hereditarycancer.org\/\u200b<\/a>. Local foundation\/support for families with hereditary cancer risk\u200b.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200b<strong>FORCE<\/strong> (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered), 866-288-7475 or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facingourrisk.org \u200b\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.facingourrisk.org \u200b\">www.facingourrisk.org \u200b<\/a> National support group for individuals and families with hereditary cancer risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200b<strong>Bright Pink<\/strong>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brightpink.org \u200b\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.brightpink.org \u200b\">www.brightpink.org \u200b<\/a>. National support group for individuals and families with hereditary cancer risk. Geared toward the younger generation who are survivors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u200bBlack &amp; BRCA<\/strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basser.org\/brca\/black-brca\">https:\/\/www.basser.org\/brca\/black-brca<\/a>\u200b. Tailored resources and support to the Black community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200bInformation about<strong> GINA<\/strong> (Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act) Law: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/about-genomics\/policy-issues\/Genetic-Discrimination\u200b\">https:\/\/www.genome.gov\/about-genomics\/policy-issues\/Genetic-Discrimination\u200b<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/\u200bwww.Cancer.net \u200b\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"\u200bwww.Cancer.net \u200b\">\u200bwww.Cancer.net \u200b<\/a>. General information about cancer from the <strong>American Society of Clinical Oncology<\/strong>. \u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u200bNational Society of Genetic Counselors<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.FindAGeneticCounselor.com\u200b\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"www.FindAGeneticCounselor.com\u200b\">www.FindAGeneticCounselor.com\u200b<\/a>. Locate a genetic counselor near you\u200b. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200bWhat is a Genetic Counselor Video: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What Is A Genetic Counselor?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GDjLazXGV0s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cells make up every tissue of the human body and work together to make tissues and organs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes; one set from our biological father and the other from our biological mother. One pair is called the sex chromosomes and determines whether a person is biologically XX (female), or XY (male). The other 22 pairs are &#8220;autosomes&#8221; responsible for all other functioning of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chromosomes are composed of genes of DNA. It is through copying parts of the DNA over and over that genes are responsible for making proteins that regulate the functions of the cells and therefore the tissues and organ functions of the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know that we can &#8220;inherit&#8221; traits (like hair color) from our biological parents through genes. Disease, or a higher likelihood of developing certain diseases, like cancer, can also be passed to us by our parents. Another way that cancer may develop however is through gene changes in a cell or cells that occur randomly, because of a toxin, or for reasons we don&#8217;t yet understand. These gene changes are not inherited. Changes in genes may lead to the making of more or less of the normal amount of protein for which a cell gene is responsible. Too much or too little of certain types of proteins causes improper regulation of cell functions. In other words, proteins start turning on too much cell activity (growth for example) or do not prevent improper cell activity from occurring &#8211; which can result in cancer (an overgrowth of abnormally functioning cells).<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"panel feature-block\">\n\t<div class=\"panel__container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"panel__main\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"feature feature--flexible \">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__side panel__side--left panel__side--alt panel__side--top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__shape panel__shape--overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__shape panel__shape--red\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/national-cancer-institute-NFvdKIhxYlU-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"doctor typing at a computer\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__main\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"h4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/feedback\" target=\"_top\">Your feedback is appreciated. Help us improve the site.<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Submit your feedback here!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel feature-block\">\n\t<div class=\"panel__container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"panel__main\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"feature feature--flexible \">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__side panel__side--left panel__side--alt panel__side--top\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__shape panel__shape--overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"panel__shape panel__shape--red\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/angiola-harry-SJCalEw-1LM-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"woman holding pink ribbon\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"feature__main\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"h4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/about-us\/\" target=\"_top\">About Us<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Learn more about the Beating Breast Cancer project.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"panel body-content\"><div class=\"panel__container\"><!-- <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"\/secure-location.php\" title=\"UYSm NoFnlUhZlLmGo\">UYSm NoFnlUhZlLmGo<\/a> --><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all know that we can &#8220;inherit&#8221; traits (like hair color) from our biological parents through genes. Disease, or a higher likelihood of developing certain diseases, like cancer, can also be passed to us by our parents. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":244,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":864,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions\/864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/beatingbreastcancer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}