Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
The information to collect about each relative before testing | CION Cancer Clinics
For each blood relative, find out whether they had cancer, where it started and roughly how old they were. Those three details, on both sides of the family, do most of the work. This page lists what else helps, how to gather it gently from older relatives, and why the healthy members of the family matter as much as the ones who were ill. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What should I find out about each relative?
- Which details matter most, relative by relative?
- How do I collect this without upsetting anyone?
- The terms the counsellor will use, in plain language
- A vague detail and a useful one
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
- Common questions about collecting a family history
The short answer
What should I find out about each relative?
For each blood relative, the counsellor wants to know three things: whether they had cancer, where in the body it started, and roughly how old they were when it was found. Everything else adds detail. Those three facts, on both sides of the family, do most of the work.
Healthy relatives count too
People are often surprised to be asked about aunts and cousins who never had cancer. A family with one affected woman among six sisters looks very different from a family with one woman and no sisters at all. The healthy relatives tell the counsellor how much room a pattern had to show.
An approximate answer is still useful
You do not need exact dates. "In her forties" or "before she married" is enough to work with. If you do not know something, write "not known" rather than guessing. A wrong detail can mislead the counsellor more than a blank one.
Your own details belong on the list
Start the sheet with yourself. Note any cancer you have had, any biopsies or polyps, and your community or the region your grandparents came from. Some faults are more common within particular communities, and that can guide which test is chosen.
Both sides matter equally. A fault can come from your father's family as easily as your mother's.For each person
Which details matter most, relative by relative?
Use this as a checklist. Fill in what you can, and leave the rest for the appointment.
Who they are
Their relationship to you, which side of the family they are on, and whether they are male or female.
Include
- Parents, brothers, sisters and children
- Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins
- Half-siblings, and which parent you share
The cancer itself
Where it started, not only where it spread. Liver or bone cancer is often a cancer that began somewhere else. Note if one person had two separate cancers, or cancer in both breasts or both kidneys. Rare cancers are worth writing down even when you are unsure of the name.
Their age
Age when the cancer was found, and their age now or at death. A young age at diagnosis is one of the strongest clues a counsellor looks for. If nobody remembers the age, link it to a family event, such as a wedding or a child's birth.
Papers and past tests
Any discharge summary, biopsy report or earlier genetic test. A relative's own test result can save the whole family a great deal of time and money.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistGathering it
How do I collect this without upsetting anyone?
Start with your parents
They usually know their own brothers, sisters and parents best. Ask about both sides separately, so one family's story does not crowd out the other.
Go back three generations
Your grandparents, their children and their grandchildren is normally enough. Beyond that, details become unreliable and add little.
Ask older relatives gently, and in person
A family visit or a festival can be easier than a phone call. Explain that a doctor is asking, so the family's children can be looked after properly.
Look for papers
Old discharge summaries, biopsy reports and hospital files are often kept in a cupboard. A photograph on your phone is enough to bring.
Write it all in one place
One sheet of paper with a line for each person is ideal. Bring it to the appointment and the counsellor will turn it into a family tree.
Words you will hear
The terms the counsellor will use, in plain language
- First-degree relative
- A parent, brother, sister or child. They share about half your genes and carry the most weight.
- Second-degree relative
- A grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or half-sibling.
- Primary site
- The organ where a cancer first began. This matters far more than where it later spread.
- Pathology report
- The laboratory report on a biopsy or operation sample. It names the exact cancer type and is the most reliable paper you can find.
- Pedigree
- The family tree the counsellor draws, using standard symbols for each person and each diagnosis.
- Consanguinity
- When a couple are related by blood, such as cousins or uncle and niece. Mention it plainly. It is common and it helps the counsellor.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Side by side
A vague detail and a useful one
What families often say
What helps the counsellor more
"My aunt had cancer"
"My father's sister had breast cancer in her forties"
"Grandfather died of liver cancer"
"It started in the bowel and spread to the liver"
"Nobody else in the family"
"Four aunts and two uncles, none with cancer"
"She was tested somewhere"
A photo of the report, with the gene name visible
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether your family history points to an inherited fault. That judgement belongs to a genetic counsellor who can see the whole tree, weigh the ages and cancer types, and decide whether a test is worth offering. A list on its own does not answer the question.
It cannot fill the gaps for you
Some details will never be found, and that is normal. The counsellor is used to working with incomplete histories and will tell you how much the gaps matter for your family.
Who this does not apply to
If you already hold a relative's genetic result showing a known fault, you may not need the full history before testing. The counsellor can test you for that exact fault. Most people who simply had one older relative with a common cancer do not need this level of detail at all.
If an older relative becomes distressed, stop. A kind conversation matters more than a complete sheet.Commonly believed
Four things families tell us, and what is actually true
"Only my mother's side matters for breast cancer."
Faults linked to breast and ovarian cancer pass through fathers just as often. Men can carry them without ever being ill, so list your father's sisters and mother too.
"Relatives who died of something else do not count."
They do. Someone who died young of another illness never had the chance to develop cancer, and the counsellor needs to know that.
"Where it spread is the same as where it started."
Cancer that reached the liver, bones or brain usually began elsewhere. The starting organ is what links a cancer to a particular gene.
"If I cannot get every detail, it is not worth going."
Almost no family brings a complete history. Go with what you have. The counsellor will tell you which gaps matter and which do not.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about collecting a family history
How far back in the family should I go?
Three generations is usually enough: your grandparents, your parents and their brothers and sisters, and your own brothers, sisters, cousins and children. Details beyond that become unreliable. Include both sides of the family equally.
Do I need the exact age when a relative was diagnosed?
No. An approximate age helps nearly as much. "In her thirties" or "before her children finished school" gives the counsellor enough to work with. If nobody remembers, write "not known" rather than guessing.
Should I include relatives who did not have cancer?
Yes. Knowing how many healthy relatives there are shows whether a pattern had room to appear. Note their rough age too, and anyone who died young of another cause.
What if the papers are in another city or have been lost?
Ask whether the hospital that treated your relative still holds the records. Many keep them for years. If nothing survives, the family's memory is still useful, and the counsellor will weigh it accordingly.
Should I mention that my parents are related?
Yes, please. Marriages within the family or within a close community are common in Telangana and are nothing to be embarrassed about. It helps the counsellor understand how certain conditions may run in your family.
Do non-cancer conditions matter?
Some do. Many bowel polyps, certain skin growths, or benign tumours can point to particular syndromes. Write down anything unusual you have heard about. The counsellor will tell you whether it matters.
What if a relative asks why I want to know?
Tell them plainly that a doctor has asked, so that the family's children can be screened properly if needed. Most relatives are willing once they understand it is to protect someone.
Where do I take this information?
To a genetic counsellor or to your oncologist, who can refer you. If you are unsure where to start, call the CION helpline and describe what you have gathered. Someone will point you to the right clinic.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment and Counseling (PDQ)
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Why is it important to know my family health history?
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
- National Cancer Institute — The Genetics of Cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Building your family tree before the appointmentHow to lay out what you have collectedWhen family members will not share their historyWhat to do when relatives stay silentDrawing the pedigreeWhat the counsellor does with your listWhat to bring to your first appointmentThe papers and details to carry with you
Talk to us
Gathered your family history and not sure what it shows?
Tell us what you have found, even if it is incomplete. We will tell you honestly whether a genetic referral is worth making, and arrange it if it is. One helpline serves every CION centre.