Session: Sharing risk information with family members

Speakers: Ellen Matloff, CGC; Lora Thompson, PhD

This 90-minute concurrent session will focus on the way that family dynamics and
relationships can affect how information and support are shared between family members.
Dr. Thompson and Ms. Matloff will discuss:

• the issues and conflicts that can arise in discussing hereditary cancer and genetic testing with relatives
• reasons why different family members may react differently to information about cancer and risk
• approaches for communicating risk information with family members
• appropriate information to convey to family members
• ways to resolve conflicts when family members do not agree or support each others’ choices
  

This session is appropriate for:

• people with a BRCA mutation or hereditary cancer in the family
• cancer survivors and previvors
• spouses, partners, and significant others of people with a BRCA mutation or hereditary
  cancer in the family
• patient advocates, support group facilitators, and people who work with survivors, people
  with a BRCA mutation, and people with hereditary cancer in the family
• health care providers who provide care to survivors, people with a BRCA mutation, and
  people with hereditary cancer in the family
• social workers/mental health care professionals who treat survivors, people
  with a BRCA mutation, and people with hereditary cancer in the family

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