Hereditary Cancer and Clinical Genomics at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center

Comprehensive Genetic Care for Hereditary Cancer

Hereditary cancer syndromes are genetic disorders that increase the risk of cancer. Approximately 10 to 15% of cancers are linked to an inherited alteration in specific genes, often referred to as cancer predisposition genes. Finding out if you carry one is key to detecting early-stage cancer or engaging in risk-reducing treatments.

At Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center’s Hereditary Cancer Clinic, our highly trained team provides genetic testing and hereditary risk assessment to help you understand your risk of developing cancer and make decisions about cancer screening and management.

Our experts will help you understand your results, answer questions and create a detailed plan for continued care, if necessary. We also offer coordination of imaging and subspecialist referrals, as well as dedicated resources to support you and your family. We encourage potentially at-risk relatives to seek testing. We offer in-person and virtual appointments for patients throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about genetic counseling at Wellstar.

When to get screened

Inherited gene mutations can cause increased risk for cancers including breast, ovarian, colon, kidney, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, stomach and ovarian cancers, as well as some rare cancers. You are a candidate for genetic testing if:

You have a family history of cancer. If you have a family history of cancer, genetic testing can help you learn if you have specific genetic mutations. People who are at risk for hereditary cancer may find it helpful to discuss options for screening, lifestyle changes or risk-reducing treatments.
You have cancer. For someone who already has a cancer diagnosis, genetic testing can help you and your care team make more informed decisions about treatment options. It can also help family members decide if they could benefit from genetic testing.

Possible indicators of hereditary cancer syndrome include:

Early age of cancer onset
Multiple cancers in a single individual
Cancer in paired organs (such as bilateral breast cancer or kidney cancers)
Multigenerational cancers
Rare tumors
Unusual cancer, such as male breast cancer
Belonging to an ethnic group known to be at high risk for hereditary cancers

Learn more about how to determine your risk of developing cancer.

Heredity cancer syndromes we manage

There are over 50 known hereditary cancer syndromes, including hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome. Each syndrome is linked to a particular group of cancers and sometimes other associated health conditions.

At our clinics we manage the following hereditary cancer syndromes, among others:

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome
Cowden syndrome/PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome
Familial adenomatous polyposis
Gorlin syndrome
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome
Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma
Hereditary pheochromocytoma-paraganglioma syndromes
Polyposis of the colon
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Lynch syndrome
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2
MUTYH-associated polyposis
Neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
Hereditary retinoblastoma
Tuberous sclerosis complex
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) syndrome

Our Services

Hereditary Cancer Clinic

The Hereditary Cancer Clinic at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center is for patients with all types of cancer where a hereditary component is suspected. It includes specialty clinics for children with cancer and for patients with neurofibromatosis, tuberous sclerosis, VHL syndrome and hereditary paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas. The clinic operates five days a week and same-day visits are available daily for urgent referrals.

We work with referring physicians to analyze complicated genetic test results obtained from tumor tissue. The Cancer Pharmacogenomics Program uses genetic testing to reduce the risk of side effects of chemotherapy.

The Wellstar Clinical Genomics Program also offers advanced genetic analysis for a range of adult health conditions.

Pancreas Cancer Screening Program

Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center launched the Pancreas Cancer Screening Program to help people in Georgia and South Carolina know their risks for developing pancreatic cancer earlier in life.

Pancreatic cancer accounts for about 3% of all cancers in the U.S. and about 7% of all cancer deaths. It is slightly more common in men than in women.

According to statistics from the National Cancer Institute, the number of new cases of pancreatic cancer has slowly been increasing. Unfortunately, the number of deaths is also climbing. This program can help our team detect the cancer earlier, giving our gastrointestinal oncologists an advantage in providing treatment.

If you have a family history of pancreatic cancer or would like to understand your risk, call for more information.

Paraganglioma Pheochromocytoma Genetics Clinic

The Paraganglioma Pheochromocytoma Genetics Clinic brings together a multidisciplinary team to help patients who have been diagnosed with tumors of the autonomic nervous system or who are concerned about the possibility of this diagnosis based on imaging, laboratory findings, genetic test results or family history. Despite the rarity of these tumors and their syndromes, we offer specialists with expertise in their diagnosis, genetics, surveillance and treatment.

Tumors of the autonomic nervous system have different names depending on their location in the body:

Abdominal paraganglioma
Carotid body tumor
Chemodectoma
Glomus jugulare
Glomus tympanicum
Glomus vagale
Head and neck paraganglioma
Pheochromocytoma

If you are interested in being seen in the clinic, call to make an appointment.

Georgia Neurofibromatosis Clinic

Neurofibromatosis is a hereditary tumor disorder that targets the nervous system. Together with Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia, Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center launched the Georgia Neurofibromatosis Clinic, a multidisciplinary clinical and research center that provides comprehensive care to patients of all ages. We manage:

Neurofibromatosis type 1
Neurofibromatosis type 2

The clinic is held on the first Tuesday of each month; however, patients can be seen on other days according to need. Call for more information or to make an appointment.

Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Clinic

Many childhood cancers have a hereditary predisposition due to an altered gene that is transmitted from parent to offspring. The Pediatric Cancer Predisposition Clinic at Wellstar Children's specializes in assessing this risk through a combination of a patient’s cancer history, family history and genetic testing. Results can impact patient care directly by influencing treatment recommendations or leading to testing for additional or new cancers for which the patient may be at risk. The results can benefit family members if they are also at risk.

Call for more information or to make an appointment.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) Clinical Care Center

VHL is a rare genetic disorder in which tumors arise in the cerebellum, skull base, spinal cord and kidneys, and other less common sites in the body. Diagnosis and management of people with VHL is best conducted in a dedicated clinical center like the VHL Clinical Care Center at Wellstar Georgia Cancer Center.

The VHL Clinical Care Center provides genetic, diagnostic and therapeutic expertise, including access to the new drug belzutifan, which has emerged as an exciting new treatment option for patients with VHL-related tumors.

Call to make an appointment, and learn about the VHL Alliance.

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Alliance Clinic at Medical College of Georgia

TSC is a tumor-causing genetic disorder that affects multiple organs, including the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, skin and lungs. It can be inherited from a parent who has TSC, but it can also result from a new genetic mutation near the time of conception. There currently is no cure for the condition, but with proper care, management and appropriate treatment with a targeted medication called everolimus, patients with TSC can live a normal lifespan.

Learn more about the TSC Alliance, and call to connect with a member of our team or to make an appointment.

Wellstar Clinical Genomics Program

This program is located within the Hereditary Cancer Clinic and offers expert genetic analysis for a wide range of genetic conditions in adults, including neurological, cardiac, endocrine and renal diseases.