Dr. Yu on the Importance of a Genetic Counselor in Prostate Cancer

James B. Yu, MD, associate professor, therapeutic oncology, director, Prostate and Genitourinary Cancer Radiotherapy Program, Yale Cancer Center, discusses the importance of a genetic counselor in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer.

In the germline testing of the patient’s underlying genetics, it is important to consider referral to a genetic counselor, Yu says.

A multidisciplinary approach is vital in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer, says Yu. The genomic testing of the tumor tissue itself has implications for the medical oncologist, the radiation oncologist, as well as the surgeon. A genetic counselor should be included in that group if it is suspected that a patient would benefit from undergoing germline testing, Yu says.