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Addressing a critical gap in hereditary cancer resources.

Our ambition is for everyone in the UK to have access to the resources they need to effectively navigate their personal hereditary cancer journey.

Research1 carried out at QMUL2, and with a collaborative of hereditary cancer patients, previvors and professionals, found that access to hereditary cancer information and support is inadequate.

Our Cancestry team, supported by a Trustee board and expert advisors, are committed to changing this.

Learn about what we do
How we work

We work closely with the NHS and community services to make sure our resources complement and connect seamlessly with existing services, enhancing accessibility for all.

Public and patient representatives are involved in all aspects of developing our resources to ensure they effectively meet the diverse and evolving needs of those impacted by hereditary cancer.

Our guiding principles 

Patient-centred
Improving patient experience and well-being is key to our activities which are all developed with input from people impacted by hereditary cancer. 
Expert guided
Being supported by leading scientific and medical advisors to ensure that all information provision is accurate, up to date, and delivered in responsible way.
Collaborative
Working together with a range of agencies to complement and improve access to established services rather than compete with, or duplicate, existing resources.
Informative not directive
Providing information impartially and without judgement, helping people move forward in any way that best fits their personal circumstances and beliefs.
Accessible to all
Ensuring that our resources are relevant and accessible to a range of different groups impacted by hereditary cancer including hard to reach communities. 
Committed to making an impact
Reviewing activities on an on-going basis to assess impact and enable identification of, and response to, priority needs. 

Our supporters

Content coming soon…

 1

Sarig K, Oxley S, Kalra A, Sobocan M, Fierheller C, Sideris M, Gootzen T, Ferris M, Eeles R, Evans DG, Quaife SL, Manchanda R. BRCA awareness and testing experience in the UK Jewish population: a qualitative study. Journal of Medical Genetics, 2024

 2

Queen Mary’s University of London – Centre for Cancer Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis

What we do

Our initial focus is to create an information and signposting resource that will facilitate access to the best available information, services and support for people impacted by HC.  to help identify and manage an increased HC risk. that people need to better understand, make decisions and navigate their personal HC journey.
 
The resource will include accessible materials on genetic testing, commonly tested cancer predisposition genes and associated cancer risks, risk management options and communicating with family about HC. 

It will also offer signposting to a wide range of community and clinical services – such as peer to peer support, emotional counselling, reproductive and menopause support, and clinical trials etc.

The Resource
The resource is designed to be used by people at any stage of their HC journey, whether:

– unaffected by HC but considering genetic testing to identify if they have an increased risk – given their family, personal history of cancer or ethnicity

– identified as having an increased HC risk and wanting to find out more about what this means
diagnosed with HC and considering the best treatment options given and manage their increased risk with risk management options

Though developed for patients and the public, healthcare professionals can also use the resource to signpost patients more effectively and efficiently to relevant HC-information, services and support.
Resource uptake, usage and other data will be gathered and analysed to identify priority needs and HC-related service gaps going forward.

Cancestry will then collaborate with other agencies in the landscape, including community, NHS and private organisations, to use these insights to advocate for developing new or improved services that will make real difference to the HC community.