Genetic Testing in Paducah, KY

Baptist Health Paducah: Genetic Testing

Genetic testing helps identify types of cancer early on. Learn if you qualify for genetic cancer screening at Baptist Health.

Genetic Testing in Paducah, KY HealthTalks Transcript

Mindy Cartwright, (R)(M) CN-BI, Certified Breast Navigator:
Genetic testing is designed for men or women. It’s a very comprehensive 36-gene panel that we run with our genetic testing.

Paula Carlson, patient:
My mother was diagnosed with cancer, and it was a rare and aggressive cancer. I called to learn more about it, to see if I might be a candidate for the testing.

Cartwright:
We send the patient a risk assessment on their cell phone or personal device. Once they complete that assessment, we can see whether they qualify to have the genetic testing. To make this even more convenient for patients, this can actually be done during their screening mammogram at our imaging center. We have a navigator on-site who can coordinate their lab draw if they meet the criteria to have it done and answer any questions that they might have about the test.

Carrie Green, RDMS, RVT, Patient Navigator:
If a patient were to test positive for a gene that is known to increase their risk for cancer, they can take preventive measures to catch that cancer early or perhaps to prevent that cancer from happening at all.

Carlson:
In my situation, it gave me a lot of peace to have these results and then also know that this is something that my daughters would not have to worry about. It just brought some peace to our family at a time when we weren’t exactly expecting to have that peace of mind.

Next Steps and Useful Resources:

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Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer: How and Why to Get Tested