Weighing the Risks

Are we really the sum of our parts? Do our parents, and their parents, live on through us by way of the genes they transfer down from generation to gener-ation? Do our bodies contain genetic road maps that reveal tendencies toward things such as longevity, physical stature and susceptibilities for disease–particularly diseases such as cancer? Dramatic advances in the under-standing of the molecular basis for hereditary cancer have led to new testing options and cancer risk assessments. And while we may be getting better at detecting and diagnosing cancer–even gauging our risk for cancer–it remains a very complex disease, and risk assessment, counseling and man-agement strategies have yet to keep pace with these advances.