Blood Cancer Awareness Month: Navigating Hereditary Hematologic Malignancy Genetics With Hiam Adel-Salam, MS, CGC, and Sarah Bannon, MS, CGC
Expert Perspectives · Keira Smith · 2024-09-20
This Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Oncology Data Advisor is shining a spotlight on genetic testing and counseling for hereditary hematologic malignancies. In this interview, Editorial Board member Hiam Abdel-Salam, Certified Genetic Counselor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, has a conversation with Sarah Bannon, Genetic Counselor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about hereditary hematologic malignancies, delving into these topics:
- What happens during a leukemia genetics consult
- Typical red flags to look out for when evaluating for hereditary causes of hematologic malignancies
- How the frequency of hereditary hematologic malignancies compares with the frequency of other hereditary cancer predispositions
- Somatic mutations and chromosomal rearrangements in the profile of a patient’s blood cancer that can be reassuring
- Different tests that may be ordered in a genetics workup for hereditary hematologic malignancies
- Ways in which genetic testing in leukemia can impact treatment considerations
- Hot topics of investigation in leukemia genetics research
- Their favorite parts about being a genetic counselor in leukemia genetics and what ignites their passion
- And more!
About the Speakers
Hiam Abdel-Salam, MS, CGC, is a Certified Genetic Counselor in the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. She provides cancer risk assessment and counseling services to patients in MD Anderson’s Breast, Genitourinary, and Pediatric/Adolescent/Young Adult Centers. Her research interests are in the identification of incidental hereditary cancer predispositions in multigene panel testing and communication of hereditary cancer syndromes within families. She has a particular research focus on exploring attitudes and communication about cancer and hereditary cancer risk among racial and ethnic minority populations and improving access to cancer genetic counseling among underserved patients.
Sarah Bannon, MS, CGC, is a Genetic Counselor at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She is a nationally recognized expert in genetic counseling for hereditary hematologic malignancies, including leukemias, aplastic anemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. She is passionate about education, broadening access to genetic medicine, and never losing sight of the impact of genetic counseling on patients and their loved ones.