Despite that fact that knowing your family’s medical history can save your life, most Americans remain in the dark. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga., only three in ten people record the health histories of their relatives. For women, the task of recording a family health history can be even more challenging.

Until the last 10 to 15 years, there was little recognition by doctors or patients of sex and gender differences in health. Diseases traditionally classified as “male diseases,” such as heart disease, were often left unrecorded and ignored in women’s family histories. We now know that heart disease is the number one killer of American women, and heart attack symptoms differ between the sexes. Only recently has the medical community recognized these important distinctions. So even if you can locate your family’s medical history, the information may be incomplete.

Cancer is another disease that needs to be traced. Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, melanoma, colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancers are among many diseases that can run in families. Genetic testing is a tool that can be used to better assess an individual’s risk for certain diseases. The testing analyzes a person’s genetic makeup for signs in their DNA of increased disease risk. Genetic counseling with health care professionals is also available to help patients make medical decisions based on information gained through genetic testing.

The answers from genetic testing are not always clear cut. Take breast cancer, for example. The chance of a woman having breast cancer during her lifespan is roughly one in eight, according to the American Cancer Society. Some women have a higher risk, especially those with a family history of the disease. Certain gene mutations, known as BRCA-1 and 2, have been discovered and predispose women to develop breast cancer. But the value of screening for the genetic mutations differs depending on who you ask.

Jennifer Wider, M.D.
Society for Women’s Health Research

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