How to establish a high-risk cancer genetics clinic: limitations and successes.

The development of technology to locate and isolate cancer susceptibility genes has brought together the fields of oncology, cancer control, genetics, and genetic counseling to create a new specialty of cancer risk counseling with the goal to communicate more accurate information about personal cancer risk profiles based on personal and family histories. As cancer risk assessment and counseling services become standard of care in medical practice, their availability is increasingly moving from comprehensive cancer centers and academic institutions to community settings. High-risk cancer genetics clinics in the community face several challenges, including staffing, time commitment, costs, and unique quality control issues. The societal benefits include a more educated public armed with the information needed to make health decisions appropriate for the individual level of risk.