WHY A HRC IS NEEDED?
Cancer is a multifactorial disease and several risk factors are already known: familiar/genetic predisposition (germline mutations), endocrine disorders (abnormal levels of sexual hormones and growth factors), metabolic inbalance (diabetes, metabolic syndrome), lifestyle (bad diet, no physical exercise, heavy smoking), environmental factors, etc.
Knowing soon enough that an individual may be at high risk for cancer allows to implement a number of actions (surveillance and active prevention) able to reduce cancer risk during lifetime. The earlier the risk profile is elucidated and the prevention measures are started, the higher the probability to really prevent cancer in the subject and in the family.
The detailed knowledge of all risk factors are essential to draw an individual’s risk profile and to conduct the best individualized prevention through:
- risk-monitoring programs (personalized surveillance)
- risk-reducing measures:
1) lifestyle modifications
2) chemoprevention with natural compounds or drugs
3) prophylactic surgery.
All this is the key of Personalized Prevention (PP).
WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE?
- Evaluation of the personal and family risk by clinical methods and special softwares (eg. BRCAPRO/CaGene);
- The oncogenetic counseling and genetic test for germline mutations;
- The Personalized risk management: regular clinical visits, personal prevention programs, instrumental surveillance, participation in clinical trials of chemoprevention and other medical treatments, discuss prophylactic surgery, access to psychological support.