Cancer Family History Service Are you concerned about your family history of cancer?

Oldham

Cancer and family history • Cancer is a very common disease. • It affects one in three people in the United Kingdom. • Most cancer is not inherited. • 50% of cancers can be prevented by adopting healthy lifestyles, for example, giving up smoking, good diet, low alcohol intake. • Many people have more than one family member affected by cancer and this is down to chance. • Around 5 to 10% of cancers are due to an inherited faulty gene.

Can I inherit cancer? In a small number of families (about 1 in 10) cancer can be due to a faulty gene passed from parent to child.

What is a gene? Genes are sets of instructions found in every living cell. Your genes control virtually everything about you, for example, your eye colour and your height.

What is a faulty gene? Genes are made of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Abnormalities in DNA are like spelling mistakes. They provide the wrong set of instructions leading to faulty cell growth and function.

How can you tell if there is an increased risk of hereditary cancer in my family? Some cancer family histories might make us wonder if there is an increased risk of hereditary cancer. It is important you consider your mother and father’s side of the family. We would suspect this if: • We saw lots of blood-related family members in different generations affected by cancer, especially if they were diagnosed in their 30’s or 40’s. • The same person developed more than one type of cancer. • A man developed breast cancer.

How do I access the service? • Pennine Care’s Cancer Family History Service in Oldham is open to anyone worried about their own risk of cancer because of the number of blood-related family members diagnosed with cancer. • Anyone over the age of 16 years can refer themselves to the service. Your GP, nurse or hospital consultant can also refer you. • You will be given a choice of clinic settings, days and times in health centres throughout the Oldham borough.

What happens now? Once you have been referred to the Cancer Family History Service, we will send you a family history questionnaire. We will ask you to fill it in, detailing the members of your family who have had cancer. It is equally important to include those who have not had cancer. With this information we will draw a family history tree to help work out if you have any inherited (genetic) risk of developing cancer. You will then be offered an appointment to attend a clinic to discuss your family history. We will do a risk assessment and advise you if you are high, moderate or population risk. Knowing what your inherited risk is will help us to advise you about regular health check ups, offer cancer awareness leaflets and advice on healthy lifestyles.

What happens next? If we think your risk of an inherited gene is increased, then we will discuss what help is available to you. We will explain all the options and why this may involve one or more of the following: • Screening, for example, mammograms (breast X-rays) or colonoscopy (bowel screening).

• Genetic counselling. • Genetic testing for those who are assessed as being at high risk – these will be very few in number. Please note the Cancer Family History Service does not offer genetic testing. We would offer high-risk people referral onto St Mary’s Genetics Centre, in Manchester. If you have any of the following signs or symptoms, please contact your GP: • A change in breast tissue, lump, blood stained nipple discharge, recent nipple inversion, puckering of breast tissue, and persistent pain in one area of the breast lasting more than a month, or any other concerns. • A change in bowel habit, for example, loose stools, bleeding from the back passage, loss of weight or appetite, frequent need to pass water lasting longer than two weeks, or any other concerns. • Tummy swelling or pain, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex or after the menopause, bloating, indigestion or any other concerns. Please see the back of this leaflet for contact details and office hours.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) acts on behalf of service users, families and carers to negotiate prompt solutions and help bring about changes in the way that services are developed. As well as providing a confidential advice and support service, PALS will help guide you through the different services available from the NHS. Tel: 0161 716 3178

Comments and complaints We want to learn from comments and complaints about our services. If you have any, please speak with a member of staff. Every effort will be made to resolve any concerns and complaining will not cause any difficulties in your care with us. You can also contact the Trust’s Complaints Department via post at Trust Headquarters, 225 Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 7SR. Tel: 0161 716 3083 Email: [email protected]

Become a member of our Trust You can be the voice of your community by electing or becoming a governor, find out more about your local mental health and community services, and receive updates, comment on our plans and get invitations to health events. Tel: 0161 716 3960 Email: [email protected]

Alternative formats If you need help to understand this information, require it in another format such as large print, spoken (on CD) or Braille, or require it in a different language – speak to a member of staff.

Contact us Pennine Care’s Cancer Family History Service in Oldham can be contacted in the following ways: Tel: 0161 909 8537 Fax: 0161 909 8538 Email: [email protected] Office hours: Monday to Friday 7.30 am to 4.00 pm

Get involved For regular updates, follow us on Twitter @PennineCareNHS, or like the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust page on Facebook Date of publication: November 2014 Reference: 3279/CFHS Service Leaflet Oldham © Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust

www.penninecare.nhs.uk