A family history of cancer is just the beginning

What you do next matters most

A history of cancer in your family isn’t something to brush off. It’s a powerful signal clamoring for attention. Think of it as a symptom—a clue that something may be brewing beneath the surface. It’s active intelligence that deserves to be heard. MyRisk® with RiskScore® helps decode that signal, giving you clear answers about your risk and the steps you can take next.

You can turn awareness into action

Knowing cancer runs in your family is only the beginning. The real power comes from taking that knowledge and using it to protect your future.
Let’s get started.

Learn about the different types of cancer

Get a complete picture of your family’s cancer history

Understand your hereditary risk of developing cancer

Three categories of cancer risk

It’s important to know the three categories of cancer risk. Each category carries different implications for prevention, screening, and care. By understanding hereditary cancer risk, you can spot patterns early, have meaningful conversations with your healthcare provider, and make informed decisions that support your health and future.

65%1

General population cancer risk

General population cancer risk happens by chance and is not passed down through genes. There is no known inherited mutation in the family.

25-30%1

Familial cancer risk

Familial cancer tends to appear more often in families, but it is not linked to a specific inherited gene mutation. Patterns may suggest a shared environmental or lifestyle factor.

5-10%1

Hereditary cancer risk

Hereditary cancer often occurs when an altered gene is passed down from parent to child. People with hereditary cancer are more likely to have relatives with the same or related types of cancer.

Collect details about your family’s medical history

You can’t change the fact that cancer exists in your family, but you can change your next steps. The first step is to treat your family history like the valuable health information it is—not as something to set aside, but as something to act on. When you explore the details, talk openly with relatives, and connect with the right tools, you put yourself in a stronger position to make informed choices.

Here’s how to take that first step

Explore your family tree

Begin by mapping your family’s cancer history. Make a simple chart starting with your parents, siblings, and children, then work outward to grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Start the conversation

Don’t put it off. Talk with your family now, and let them know you’re sharing and because you care.

Ask questions

Ask family about health conditions, ages at diagnosis, and courses of treatment.

  • Which relative had cancer, what type, and how old were they?
  • Do any patterns emerge—multiple cancers, early-onset disease?
  • Has anyone undergone genetic testing, or do any known mutations run in the family?

Looking for more help?

Download our Family Health History Guide

Understand your own cancer risk using MyRisk with RiskScore

The industry’s only test that unites comprehensive hereditary cancer testing with a personalized breast cancer risk assessment.

Comprehensive genetic testing

The MyRisk Test looks at 48 genes to help assess your risk for 11 different hereditary cancers.

Personalized breast cancer insight

RiskScore gives a five-year and remaining lifetime breast cancer estimate that is twice as accurate as the Tyrer-Cuzick model alone.2

Trusted accuracy

With 99.9% accuracy, the MyRisk Test has one of the lowest rates of uncertain results for BRCA1/2 genes and updates your report as new discoveries are made.3,4

How one woman turned her genetic risk into action

Jodi has a family history of cancer—and a BRCA2 mutation that changed everything. Watch her story to see how the MyRisk Test helped her take control of her health and make life-saving decisions.

"I feel telling my story now is more important than ever, because I need women to know that this is an option for them...”

Get started with the
MyRisk Test through virtual care

Share a few details using the form below, and we’ll send you an email to virtually connect with a board-certified genetic counselor. During this initial virtual care consultation, you’ll learn whether you meet guideline criteria for the MyRisk Test.

Get started today using virtual care for fast, at-home genetic testing - no office visit required

Still weighing your options?

Deciding whether genetic testing is right for you is a big step—and you don’t have to make it alone.

Talk with your provider

Request our Discussion Guide to help you and your healthcare provider talk through your personal and family history, your concerns, and the potential benefits of testing.

Get our Discussion Guide
References
  1. Tomasetti, C., & Vogelstein, B. (2015). Variation in cancer risk among tissues can be explained by the number of stem cell divisions. Science, 347(6217), 78-81.
  2. Mabey B, Hughes E, Kucera M, et al. Validation of a clinical breast cancer risk assessment tool combining a polygenic score for all ancestries with traditional risk factors. Genet Med. 2024;26(7):101128.
  3. Gradishar WJ, et al. Clinical variant classification: a comparison of public databases and a commercial testing laboratory. The Oncologist. 2017;22(7):797–803. doi:10.1634/theoncologist.2016-0431.
  4. Mundt E, Iorg G. Driving Down the Rate of Variants of Uncertain Significance as the Myriad myRisk® Multigene Panel Grows [White paper]. Myriad Genetics. 2020.