Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetic Counselling

Our clinic is located at the Zane Cohen Centre for Digestive Disease. We see people who may have been diagnosed with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or a GI cancer such as colorectal, stomach or small bowel cancer at a young age. We also see people who have a strong family history that could suggest a hereditary syndrome.

Some GI cancer syndromes (like Lynch syndrome) can also cause non-GI cancers such as endometrial or breast cancer. So we also see any patients who could have a syndrome related to GI cancers.

What to expect

Before your appointment, our genetic counselling team will send you a medical questionnaire to fill out and ask if you want to see your genetic counsellor in person, over the phone or virtually.

During your appointment, your counsellor will ask about your medical and family history and will help you decide if you want to continue with genetic testing. If you decide to move forward with testing, we will order blood tests that will look for the genetic markers of several hereditary GI cancer syndromes.  

After we receive your results, you will have another appointment with your counsellor to talk about what your results mean for you and for other members of your family. We also offer counselling to any of your relatives who contact us.

Your counsellor may recommend further screening tests such as an endoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or mammogram. Your counsellor will also talk about what preventative measures and treatment options are available to you.

If referrals to specialists are needed, our team will refer you to our expert gastroenterologists, oncologists, surgeons or other specialists at Mount Sinai Hospital.  

We can also connect you with a support group or arrange for one-on-one peer support with other patients living with your syndrome.

Our patients are invited to join the Zane Cohen Centre's internationally recognized Familial GI Cancer Registry that tracks these rare disorders for research.

After we have put these supports in place, our genetic counselling team will continue to stay in touch with you. We reach out to our high-risk patients every couple years for updates. We also host a patient information night with specialists in the field every two years.  

What to bring

• Health (OHIP) card or valid health-care coverage
• Completed questionnaire, if not sent in ahead of time
• A list of questions you want to ask

How to access our services

You need a referral from a health-care provider to be seen by our counsellors. Visit our referrals criteria for more information.