Now patients with rare cancers won’t be left behind

In 10 seconds? Cancer patients with rare cancers could finally benefit from tailored treatment decisions, or ‘precision oncology,’ thanks to genetic testing for hereditary traits.

What do you mean by hereditary traits? The genetic code (AKA our DNA) between any two people is about 99.9% identical. That 0.1% of genetic differences is what makes each one of us unique. Unfortunately for some, it also may mean that they have an increased hereditary (genetic) risk of developing certain types of cancers. In short, when people are born with genetic variations that are known to increase the risk of developing cancer, they are said to have a hereditary cancer predisposition.