Fox Chase Cancer Center’s Risk Assessment Program Offers New Educational Tool

PHILADELPHIA (August 2, 2012)—The Risk Assessment Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of the Center’s Department of Clinical Genetics, has a new educational website available to help patients understand the personal and family risk factors that may put them at higher risk for cancer. By utilizing the website, patients and their family members can learn about their risk factors and what they can do to lower their chances of getting cancer.

The website was developed to complement the current work being done by Fox Chase’s risk assessment team — physicians, nurses, and genetic counselors — who meet with patients and their family members to determine their chances of getting cancer and whether they are at high risk for certain types of cancer.

“Our Risk Assessment Program is a comprehensive, clinical service and research collaboration for individuals and families at risk for cancer and those with cancer,” says Mary Daly, MD, PhD, FACP, chair of Fox Chase’s Department of Clinical Genetics. “Both the clinical and research goals are aimed at helping to learn how cancer begins, how it can be prevented, how it can be diagnosed early, and how it can be best treated.”

Those visiting the website can learn about the following:

  • What to expect at a cancer risk assessment session
  • Risks for specific cancers and how to reduce those risks
  • Information on how cancer develops
  • Cancer genetics and genetic counseling
  • How to build a family pedigree (family cancer history)
  • Why family history and health history questionnaires are important tools
  • Personal stories from RAP patients
  • Video tutorials from the experts in cancer risk assessment

Patients, their family members, and anyone interested in learning about cancer risk assessment and services are welcome to visit the website (login is not required to access the site). For questions or concerns, email [email protected].

Fox Chase Cancer Center (Fox Chase), which includes the Institute for Cancer Research and the American Oncologic Hospital and is a part of Temple Health, is one of the leading comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Fox Chase is also one of just 10 members of the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are also routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has received the Magnet recognition for excellence six consecutive times. Today, Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research, with special programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. It is the policy of Fox Chase Cancer Center that there shall be no exclusion from, or participation in, and no one denied the benefits of, the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

For more information, call 888-369-2427