In the past, there used to be a fairly standard approach for screening for breast cancer.
Now doctors are increasingly using new technologies to identify people at high risk. With at-home DNA tests so accessible these days, some people are finding out some surprising things about their family's medical make-up.
If something shows up on those tests they're finding their way to us.
Julie Mak is a UCSF genetic counselor who works with patients investigating hereditary cancer.
"My role and our clinic's role sort of spans a big spectrum, from people who are just starting to ask the question – is there something genetic in my family, to people who know that there is and they're saying, 'Well, what do I do with this information?"
Mak told KCBS Radio's "As Prescribed" on Thursday that people who have lost loved ones to cancer or watched family member get really sick are understandably traumatized by the experience and may worried about what genetic testing could mean for them.
Her message: "If we know about this, maybe we can do something. We can try to catch cancer earlier and have someone go through less treatment and have a better survival or maybe even in some cases talk about cancer prevention."
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