Genetics clinic at Cancer Institute
by Dhaneshi Yatawara
A cancer genetics clinic will be conducted by the Human Genetics Unit
of the University of Colombo at the Maharagama National Cancer
Institute. The clinic will be held every Friday afternoon.
The purpose of the clinic is to identify individuals having
hereditary cancer syndromes and provide thorough evaluation, genetic
counselling and testing which will be beneficial for the patients and
their families, according to Professor Vajira Dissanayake of the Human
Genetics Unit, Colombo University.
"We will work with physicians and surgeons who treat the patients.
The clinic is ready to provide service not only to cancer patients but
also to their family members as well," Prof. Dissanayake said.
The cancer genetics clinic will conduct risk assessments for each
patient for all forms of cancers and screening for early detection
management, Genetic counselling and genetic testing.
"Members of families with records of cancer occurring in multiple
generations or people with two or more close relatives having the same
cancer can come to the clinic and get their risk assessments," he said.
And for those who underwent treatment for cancer that occurred in one
section of paired organs of the body have the facility to check whether
the cancer has spread to the other half of the organ. Several main
genetic tests will be available at the clinic.
Tests to check effectiveness of the drugs on individual cancer
patients medically known as pharmacogenomic tests, are also available at
the clinic. |