Navigation Bar

About Your Personal or Family History

Based on the information you gave us, you are planning top surgery. However, you have risk factors in your family that mean you may want to remove more tissue, have extra chest screening, or have genetic testing. Continue to learn more about what this means for your care.

Some people have a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, pancreas, prostate, melanoma, or primary peritoneal cancer. Cancer risk can be passed down in families through genetics. These people might have a higher chance of developing cancer. They can also get cancer at younger ages than people without a family history.  

Based on your answers about your family, doctors may recommend a type of test called genetic testing. This test looks at traits passed down from your parents. Learning about your genetics can help you access medical care that catches cancer early or even prevents it.

Understanding your genetics can help doctors make recommendations about cancer screening and prevention. For example, it may inform discussions about how much tissue to remove during top surgery. It can also help you understand which cancer screenings are appropriate for you.

To learn more about genetic testing and cancer prevention, continue to the next page.