#411 Mock Cancer Genetic Counseling Session: Colon Cancer and Lynch Syndrome

What happens during genetic counseling after someone develops colon cancer at a young age and their tumor testing raises concern for Lynch syndrome?

This is the eighth installment in our Mock Genetic Counseling Session Series! In this episode, cancer genetic counselor Connor Linehan and genetic counseling student Edith Atwerebour perform a mock cancer genetic counseling session. Edith plays Patricia, a 42-year-old woman recently diagnosed with Stage I colon cancer whose tumor showed loss of the MSH2 and MSH6 proteins.

Although this tumor result raises suspicion for Lynch syndrome, it does not confirm that Patricia has an inherited cancer predisposition. Through this simulated session, Connor explains the difference between tumor and germline testing, reviews the pattern of cancer in Patricia’s family, and discusses how genetic testing could inform her future medical care and clarify cancer risks for her relatives.

Patricia is particularly concerned about her kids. The session demonstrates how genetic counselors address the emotional impact of a possible hereditary cancer condition while explaining why testing and cancer screening are generally not recommended for children when the associated risks begin in adulthood.

Previous installments of this series have explored prenatal, pediatric, cardiovascular, cancer, and teratogen genetic counseling. We hope these sessions help prospective and current genetic counseling students, and the general public, better understand what happens during a genetic counseling appointment.

The Actors

Connor Linehan, MS, LCGC is a board-certified genetic counselor in Connecticut specializing in cancer. He helps patients and families understand inherited cancer risks, genetic testing options, and how test results may affect medical management and relatives. He is also a Clinical Instructor at a genetic counseling graduate program. Connor is the President of The Connecticut Genetic Counselor Association. (Fun fact, our host Kira Dineen designed this new website!)

Edith Atwerebour, MPH is currently a student in the Human Genetics Program at Sarah Lawrence College training to become a genetic counselor. In this mock session, she plays Patricia, a 42-year-old woman recently diagnosed with Stage I colon cancer whose abnormal tumor testing raises concern for Lynch syndrome. The premise of this mock case was developed as part of Atwerebour’s internship with DNA Today.

Edith also appeared in the previous installment of this series, #406 Mock Teratogen Genetic Counseling Session: Ozempic, Zoloft, Xanax, and Metformin, in which she played Denise, a pregnant patient seeking information about several medication exposures.

Mock Session Overview

Establishing the purpose and structure of a cancer genetic counseling appointment

Reviewing Patricia’s colon cancer diagnosis, treatment, and current health