Inherited Cancer in the Age of Next-Generation Sequencing

Abstract

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology has led to the ability to test for multiple cancer susceptibility genes simultaneously without significantly increasing cost or turnaround time. With growing usage of multigene testing for inherited cancer, ongoing education for nurses and other health-care providers about hereditary cancer screening is imperative to ensure appropriate testing candidate identification, test selection, and posttest management. The purpose of this review article is to (1) provide an overview of how NGS works to detect germline mutations, (2) summarize the benefits and limitations of multigene panel testing, (3) describe risk categories of cancer susceptibility genes, and (4) highlight the counseling considerations for patients pursuing multigene testing.