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Ruth Paul Cancer Genetics & Prevention Service

Washington DC Cancer Genetic Counseling

The Ruth Paul Cancer Genetics & Prevention Service, we work with patients who have a personal history of cancer as well as those who are at high risk for developing cancer because of a known genetic mutation and/or a strong family history of cancer. Our role is to help patients understand and manage their risk of cancer by providing hereditary cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, genetic testing, and preventative care for high risk individuals.

Hereditary cancer risk is a rapidly growing field in medicine. The Ruth Paul Cancer Genetics & Prevention Service is dedicated to advancing our knowledge of hereditary cancer risk through medical research. Our program has a number of ongoing research studies in which our patients may participate.

Learn more about our Research.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at: (202) 677-6903.

What is Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. This process integrates the following:

  • Interpretation of personal and family medical histories to assess the chance of disease occurrence or recurrence.
  • Education about inheritance, testing, management, prevention, resources and research.
  • Counseling to promote informed choices and adaptation to the risk or condition.

(National Society of Genetic Counselors, 2009)

What to Expect During Your Visit

During the genetic counseling appointment:

  • You will meet with a genetic counselor who will help you interpret your personal and family history.
  • You will learn about the risks, benefits, and limitations of genetic testing.
  • If appropriate, the genetic counselor will facilitate testing and then meet with you again to discuss results and personalized cancer screening recommendations.
  • Depending on your genetic testing results, you may be referred to other specialists including the High Risk Breast Care Clinic.

Would I Benefit from Genetic Counseling?

Genetic counseling may be important if any of the following is true about you or your family:

  • You or a close relative have been diagnosed with cancer at a young age
  • Multiple family members have been diagnosed with the same type of cancer
  • You or a close relative have been diagnosed with more than one type of cancer
  • There is a known cancer predisposing mutation (e.g. BRCA) in the family

Multidisciplinary Clinic

  • Offered to all known hereditary cancer mutation carriers
  • Establishes coordinated care with providers of multiple specialties
  • Provides a medical “home” for managing their cancer risk

Clinical Trials

  • Comparing Group Approaches to Improve Insomnia Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors
    We are inviting women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer who have completed active treatment (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy, radiation) to participate in this research study. Through this study we will examine if our mind and body programs improve some of the long term effects of breast cancer treatment such as insomnia. This is a pilot phase of the study. This means that we are interested in feasibility of the program and will ask for your feedback about things you like and do not like about the program.
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  • Combination immunotherapy with Herceptin and theHER2 vaccine E75 in low and intermediate HER2-expressing breast cancer patients to prevent recurrence
    This is a randomized trial for after all neo or adjuvant therapy is complete for women are Her2 1+ or HER2 2+
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  • A Randomized Phase III Trial of Palbociclib with Standard Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Versus Standard Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Alone for Hormone Receptor Positive (HR+)/ Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Negative early Breast Cancer (PALLAS Study)
    The purpose of the PALLAS study is to determine whether the addition of palbociclib to adjuvant endocrine therapy will improve outcomes over endocrine therapy alone for HR+/HER2- early breast cancer.
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  • A Phase 3 Randomized Study Comparing Perioperative Nivolumab vs. Observation in Patients with Localized Renal Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Nephrectomy (PROSPER RCC)
    This randomized phase III trial compares nephrectomy (surgery to remove a kidney or part of a kidney) with or without nivolumab in treating patients with kidney cancer that is limited to a certain part of the body (localized). Monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Giving nivolumab before nephrectomy may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed, and after nephrectomy to increase survival. It is not yet known whether nivolumab and nephrectomy is more effective than nephrectomy alone in treating patients with kidney cancer.
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  • A Open-Label, Multicenter, Phase IIIb Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Ribociclib (LEE011) in Combination with Letrozole for The Treatment of men and Pre/Postmenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor-Positive (HR+) HER-Negative (HER2-) Advanced Breast Cancer (aBC) with No Prior Hormonal Therapy for Advanced Disease
    The purpose of the PALLAS study is to determine whether the addition of palbociclib to adjuvant endocrine therapy will improve outcomes over endocrine therapy alone for HR+/HER2- early breast cancer.
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  • A Global, Prospective, Non-Interventional, Observational Study of Presentation, Treatment Patterns, and Outcomes in Multiple Myeloma Patients-the INSIGHT-MM study
    The objective of this study is to describe contemporary, real-world patterns of patient characteristics, clinical disease presentation, therapeutic regimen chosen, and clinical outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.
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