genetic counseling
(je-NET-ik COWN-suh-ling)
Advice from a specially trained counselor who can help you figure out the connection between your family's genes and your risk of a disease (like cancer. See Genetics and Breast Cancer Risk for more.). The counselor gets facts about your family and your health. Testing can be the next step. It could help you to understand your own situation and make decisions to reduce the chance of getting cancer.
For more information, see Breastcancer.org's section on Genetic Testing.
Audio contributed by: Kelsey Grammer