Pediatric Cancer Genetics

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Pediatric Cancer Genetics

The Pediatric Cancer Genetics Clinic at Children’s of Alabama helps determine a child’s individual risk for cancer due to a possible inherited genetic disorder, and it develops customized treatment plans for children with a diagnosis of inherited cancer predisposition syndrome. The clinic is staffed by UAB Medicine geneticists (physicians with special training in genetics) and genetic counselors (professionals with training in both genetics and counseling) who work together to provide:

Genetic counseling for parents and genetic test coordination as needed.
Review of genetic testing results and recommendations for managing or minimizing cancer risk.
Education and emotional support for children and family members who inherited a genetic risk for cancer.

Clinic Appointment

Appointments consist of time with a geneticist and a genetic counselor who will share with you their knowledge in hereditary cancer predisposition and its implications in childhood. They will evaluate your child’s medical history and your family’s medical history to assess the risk of cancer occurrence; educate your family regarding genetic testing options and risk management; and provide you with the information to make the best decisions for your family. We will make referrals to other physicians when necessary.

Schedule

Our clinic is open the second Monday morning of each month. To make an appointment, please call 205.934.4983. Referrals to this clinic may also be faxed to 205.975.6389. We are located on the sixth floor of the Dearth Tower in the McWane Building at Children’s of Alabama.

Referrals

A genetic counseling appointment could be helpful for your child and family due to a variety of family medical circumstances, including but not limited to the following:

Cancers occurring early in childhood
Cancers occurring in multiple generations
Same type of cancer occurring in close relatives
Multiple cancers in an individual
Bilateral or multifocal cancers
Rare tumors
Family history of a genetic mutation with an increased hereditary cancer risk

The rapidly growing field of genetics helps medical professionals better understand diseases and conditions that are connected to our genes, treat patients more effectively, and more accurately predict their risk of developing genetic-related disorders. The UAB Department of Genetics is a national leader in this field. Our expert geneticists (physicians with special training in genetics), genetic counselors, and other providers work hand in hand with various UAB Medicine departments and clinics to educate patients and their families about genetic health factors and help deliver the world-class medical care that UAB is known for.

UAB Medicine is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Alabama and among the nation’s best, and we are one of the top academic medical centers in the United States. Because UAB a major center for clinical research trials, patients may have access to promising new therapies long before they are available at other hospitals.