I have lost a number of close family to blood cancer and now have had another member diagnosed with it. Is there any value in getting genetically tested for it? The gp seems uninterested. How easy is it to get this testing done on the NHS? And where is the best place to have it done?
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Welcome to our forum & thank you for your post.
We are sorry to hear that you have lost a close family member to blood cancer and another relative has been diagnosed with this.
It’s totally understandable you have questions around this.
Our webpage Just diagnosed with blood cancer: emotions and how you feel | Blood Cancer UK under ‘does my family need to be tested for blood cancer’ explains:
“Some research studies have shown that people who have a family member with blood cancer may have a slightly higher chance of getting it than people who don’t have any family members with blood cancer. But the risk is small. It’s very unusual to find more than one person with blood cancer in the same family.
In a few rare cases, family members may need to have a blood test to check if there’s anything that makes it more likely for them to develop blood cancer. Most families won’t be offered tests because they don’t need them. If you’re worried about this, speak to your GP or medical team".
It’s a shame that you are not feeling listened to by your GP, if this is causing you concern, perhaps there is another GP you can talk this through with? They can assess whether Genetic testing for cancer risk | Cancer Research UK is appropriate. Have you told your GP about your family history and that it is blood cancer you are concerned about?
In case it is useful, The NHS have a page on Genetic and genomic testing - NHS (www.nhs.uk).
It’s really important to be aware of the symptoms of blood cancer, so that you know what to look out for. We have some information around this here - Blood cancer symptoms and signs | Blood Cancer UK.
Take care,
Emma (support services nurse)
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