The Cancer Genetic Counseling Shared Resource (CGCSR) provides genetic counseling and testing services and high-risk sample ascertainment for researchers who wish to utilize genetic testing as part of their research studies. This Shared Resource has evolved over the past decade to meet the increasing demands of researchers utilizing genetic testing (e.g. BRCA1, BRCA2) in their research protocols. Such testing in human subjects created the need to provide accurate, responsible genetic counseling to research subjects. Our objectives include the following: a) to provide genetic counseling services to patients who undergo genetic testing as a part of a research protocol;b) to provide consultation and to serve as a content expert and collaborator to researchers who are developing protocols that will include genetic testing for cancer susceptibility genes (this includes assistance with the IRB approval process and consent forms);c) to provide researchers with access to patient populations of interest (e.g. high risk patients);d) to train graduate students in genetic counseling in the area of cancer genetics during a three month fellowship, during which time they will assist and participate in clinical research. Once trained, these genetic counselors will be able to function as cancer genetic counselors in academic medical settings. Patients are seen at our New Haven office and outreach clinics in Greenwich, Norwalk, and Danbury, CT. The CGCSR has been used by five peer-reviewed YCC members representing the Cancer Genetics and Radiobiology &Radiotherapy (R&R) Research Programs at the Yale Cancer Center. The expectation is that this Shared Resource will be more extensively used during the next project period by members of the Developmental Therapeutics and R&R Programs as the number of investigator-initiated clinical trials requiring genetic predisposition testing expands.
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