Genetic Counseling
At Littleton Adventist Hospital, we offer genetic counseling and testing to people who want to better understand their health and how genetics plays a role.
Our Services
While genetic counseling is available for a wide variety of health concerns, many people will pursue genetic counseling to better understand the causes of cancer and their own cancer risks.
Through genetic counseling and testing, patients can harness the power of prevention, improve early diagnosis, and make informed decisions about treatment options. Genetic counseling is available to people who have been diagnosed with cancer and/or have a family history of cancer. In many cases, insurance covers the cost of genetic counseling and testing.
Genetic counseling may also be offered to people with other health conditions with a known or suspected genetic basis, such as cardiomyopathy, hemochromatosis, and carrier testing.
- Pre-testing counseling
- Post-test counseling
- Hereditary cancer risk assessment
- Genetic test coordination
Patient Resources
Determining Your Risk
Gathering your personal health and family history allows the genetic counselor to estimate your risks for certain diseases, estimate your risk of an inherited cancer in your family, discuss ways to screen for and prevent cancer based on your risks, review the benefits and limitations of genetic testing, and help you decide if genetic testing is right for you. If testing is pursued, the genetic counselor will coordinate it and create a plan with you about how to best use the results to improve your health.
