Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Bringing the whole family to one genetics appointment | CION Cancer Clinics
Yes, several relatives can come to one genetic counselling appointment, and it often saves journeys and repeated explanations. It works best after one person has tested positive, or when the family history needs several memories. Each adult still decides about their own test in private. This page explains who to bring, how to plan the day, and what is shared and what is not. 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
- Can the whole family come to one genetics appointment?
- Which relatives make the session most useful?
- How do you plan a family appointment?
- What should each person bring?
- What is shared in the room, and what stays private
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume, and what is actually true
- Common questions about family appointments
The short answer
Can the whole family come to one genetics appointment?
Yes. A family session can be arranged, and for many families it saves repeated journeys and repeated explanations. Tell the helpline who is coming when you book, so the session is long enough and the right counsellor is scheduled.
When a family session helps most
It works best after one relative has already tested positive, when brothers, sisters and grown-up children all need the same explanation. It also helps when the family history is patchy, because an aunt or a grandmother may remember diagnoses nobody else knew about. For families travelling from a district, one well-planned day can replace several trips. Hearing the same explanation together also stops the story changing as it is passed from one relative to the next.
When one-to-one is better
Some conversations belong in private. A relative may not want to know their risk, may feel pushed into testing, or may have a question about marriage or pregnancy they would rather not raise in front of elders. Even in a family session, the counsellor will usually speak to each adult alone before any test.
Every adult decides about their own test. A family session is for shared understanding, not a shared decision.Who to bring
Which relatives make the session most useful?
It is not about bringing everyone. A few of the right people usually achieve more than a crowded room.
The relative who had cancer
If they are living and well enough, they are usually the best person to test first. Their result tells everyone else whether there is a fault to look for at all.
If they have died, bring whatever papers survive. A stored tissue block from an old surgery can sometimes still be tested.
The one who remembers
Often a parent, an aunt or a grandmother who knows who was ill, with what, and at roughly what age. That memory is what the family tree is built from, and it is often more accurate than people expect.
The one who will organise
Usually an adult son or daughter who books, pays and follows up. Having them in the room means the plan is heard first-hand rather than passed on over the phone.
They can help with
- Reports and old discharge papers
- Scheme and insurance paperwork
- Booking follow-up for each relative
Spouses
A result can affect children and marriage plans. A husband or wife who hears the explanation directly is better placed to support the decision and to ask their own questions.
This matters most when a daughter's or son's marriage is being arranged, and in-laws are already asking what the result might mean.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistPlanning the day
How do you plan a family appointment?
Tell the helpline who is coming
Give names, ages and how each person is related. Mention anyone joining by phone or video, and the languages people prefer.
Gather the records beforehand
Ask each branch of the family for reports, discharge summaries and any genetic report or family letter. Photographs on a phone are fine.
Agree what you want to leave with
A family tree, a plan for who is tested first, and a clear idea of cost. Writing these down stops the day drifting.
Allow time for private conversations
Expect the counsellor to see some people alone. Nobody is being left out. It protects each person's right to decide.
Plan the follow-up together
Results may come back at different times. Agree who will collect each one and how the family will be told.
In the bag
What should each person bring?
- A photo identity document for anyone giving a sample
- Any cancer report, scan result or discharge summary
- The family letter, if a fault has already been found
- A written list of relatives with cancer on their side
- Scheme or insurance cards, if they may apply
- Their own questions, written down in advance
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Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether a family session suits your family. That depends on how close people are, whether anyone has tested positive, and whether some relatives would rather not know. A counsellor can talk through these things on the phone before you plan the day.
It also cannot predict how the day will feel. Families who have grieved together often find the session brings old losses back. Some find it a relief to talk openly at last. Both reactions are normal, and it is fine to take the rest of the day slowly.
It cannot tell anyone what their result means
Each person's result belongs to them. The same fault can mean different things for a brother and a sister, or for someone who has had cancer and someone who has not. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
Who does not need a family session
Most families do not. If no fault has been found and the family history is modest, one person seeing a counsellor is usually enough. Young children rarely need to come, because most inherited cancer genes are not tested until adulthood.
India has no dedicated law protecting genetic information. Think about who hears what before the day.Commonly believed
Four things families assume, and what is actually true
"The eldest in the family should decide for everyone."
Elders can guide and support, but each adult signs their own consent. A counsellor will not test someone who has been pushed into it, and will check that privately.
"If one brother tests negative, the rest of us are clear."
Each brother and sister inherits separately. One sibling's result says nothing about another's, so each person who wants to know needs their own test.
"We should bring the children and test them too."
For most inherited cancer genes, children are not tested until they are adults and can decide for themselves. A small number of syndromes are different, and the counsellor will say if yours is one.
"Keeping it quiet protects the family's marriages."
It can also mean relatives miss screening that could find a cancer early. How and when to share is a personal choice, and a counsellor can help plan it without forcing anyone.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about family appointments
How many relatives can come?
Tell the helpline how many are planning to come. A larger group may need a longer session or two sessions back to back. It usually works better to bring the few people who matter most and share the plan with the rest afterwards.
Can relatives join by phone or video?
Ask when you book. Relatives in another city or abroad can often join part of the session remotely. Any sample they give will still need to be collected where they live, using the family letter.
Do we all have to be tested on the same day?
No. Often one person is tested first and the others wait for that result. Those who decide to test can give samples the same day if it is agreed, which saves another trip.
Will each person get their own report?
Yes. Every person tested gets a report in their own name, and it is given to them first. Whether they share it with the rest of the family is their choice.
Is each person charged separately?
Tests are usually charged per person. Testing relatives for a known family fault is often cheaper than the first test. Ask for a written estimate covering everyone before the day, so the family can plan together.
What if someone gets upset during the session?
It happens, and counsellors are used to it. The session can pause, and that person can step out or finish another day. Nobody has to decide anything in the room.
Can the session be in Telugu for some and English for others?
Counselling can be arranged in Telugu, Hindi or English. Mixed-language families are common. Tell the helpline who prefers which, and the counsellor will make sure everyone follows the explanation.
How do we book a family session?
Call the CION helpline, say you want a family genetics appointment, and list who is coming. The team will suggest a date, a centre and a session length that suits the group.
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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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. One helpline books a consultation at any of these centres, and your team will tell you where counselling and testing take place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- Cancer Research UK — Inherited cancer genes and increased cancer risk
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — How can I find a genetics professional in my area?
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
Booking genetic counselling at CIONHow to make the booking and what to ask forWho should come with youChoosing the one person to bring if not the whole familyHow cascade testing worksHow a result moves through the family after the sessionOnline genetic counselling from a districtLetting relatives far away join without travelling
Talk to us
Planning to bring several relatives?
Tell us who is coming and why. We will suggest a session length and a date that works for the group. One helpline serves every CION centre.