Evaluation Criteria

An evaluation can be conducted for any family or individual who meets some or all of the following criteria:

• The cancer was diagnosed earlier than usual for that cancer type. Generally, this means age 50 or younger.

• Multiple family members, spanning several generations, have had or currently have cancer.  Both the maternal and paternal side are important.

• Two primary (new) cancers have been diagnosed within the same individual or the individual’s cancers were bilateral (on both sides of the body). Examples can include bilateral breast cancer, breast and ovarian cancer within the same person, and two colon cancers within the same person.