Living with uncertainty - cancer genetics

Genetic testing| doesn’t tell us who will definitely get cancer, or when.

This can cause anxiety. It’s natural to want to know what is likely to happen to us, so that we can plan for our future. However, often definite answers aren’t possible so you may have to find ways of living with uncertainty.

Getting support Back to top

Living with the threat of cancer in your family can be very difficult. Talking about your feelings and worries may help. Some people find that their relationships and family ties become stronger as they face problems and begin working through them together. You may feel that you can rely on your family for support and help more than before.

If you find it difficult to talk to your relatives or partner it may help to get support from people outside your family, like your genetic counsellor, or a friend. You can also speak to our cancer support specialists.

Many people say that knowing about the cancer risk in their family means that they can make appropriate choices to increase their own and their children’s chances of good health. Some people keep a simple record of their family’s health and major illnesses, so that this information is available for their children or other relatives if they ever need it.

Optimising your health Back to top

There are various lifestyle factors that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancers developing in the general population, such as:

• not smoking
• taking regular physical exercise
• maintaining a healthy body weight
• limiting alcohol intake (up to 1 unit per day for women and no more than 2 units per day for men).
• eating a healthy balanced diet (high in fibre, fruit and vegetables and low in salt, fat and red and processed meat).

There isn’t good evidence about how much these factors affect people who have a strong family history of cancer. But some people say that following a healthy lifestyle makes them feel they are doing whatever they can to control their risk of cancer.

There may also be specific factors that can affect your cancer risk. If you are thinking about ways of reducing your risk, it’s worth discussing your ideas with your specialist so that you can take into account your personal circumstances.