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Family Cancer Services

What is a family cancer?

It is not uncommon for more than one member of a family to have cancer. Cancer can occur in familes:

  • Just by chance (mostly the case)
  • Because family members have environmental and lifestyle influences in common (e.g too much sun or smoking)
  • Because there is an inherited faulty gene causing an increased chance of cancer (uncommon)
  • More about cancer and genetics

What do Family Cancer Clinics provide?

Family Cancer Clinics provide counselling and information for families with a history of cancer on:

  • Inheriting cancer
  • Individual risk
  • Screening
  • Cancer risk reduction strategies.

They also provide genetic testing where appropriate.

The clinics are conducted through the public hospital system and there is no direct cost to the patient for consultation or genetic testing.

Who attends a Family Cancer Clinic?

The types of families often referred to a clinic are:

  • Families with three or more individuals with a specific type of cancer - often breast/ovarian or bowel cancer.
  • Individuals with multiple cancers or cancers diagnosed at an unusually young age.

How can you attend a Family Cancer Clinic?

There are two ways you can attend a clinic:

  1. Your GP, physician or surgeon may refer you to a clinic;
  2. You can call one of the Family Cancer Clinics to discuss an appointment.

When you attend a clinic you may see a Genetic Counsellor, Medical Geneticists and other medical specialists depending on the type of cancer.

Select the area below to view Specialised Familial Cancer Services in that State/Territory:

 

New South Wales - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Camperdown

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Department of Molecular and Clinical Genetics
Missenden Rd, Camperdown, NSW, 2050
Ph: (02) 9515 5360
Fax: (02) 9550 5389

Darlinghurst

St Vincent’s Hospital
Family Cancer Clinic
Victoria Rd, Darlinghurst, NSW 2011
Ph: (02) 8382 3395
Fax: (02) 8382 3386

Kogarah

St George Hospital
Hereditary Cancer Clinic
Cancer Care Centre
Gray St, Kogarah, NSW 2217
Ph: (02) 9113 3815
Fax: (02) 9113 3958

Liverpool

Department of Clinical Genetics

Liverpool Hospital

Locked Mail Bag 7103, Liverpool BC NSW 1871

Tel: (02) 9828 4680

Fax: (02) 9828 4650

Newcastle and rural outreach services

Hunter Family Cancer Service
PO Box 84, Waratah, NSW 2298
Ph: (02) 4985 3132
Fax: (02) 4985 3133

Randwick

Prince of Wales Hospital
Hereditary Cancer Clinic
Level 2, High St, Randwick, NSW 2031
Ph: (02) 9382 2551
Fax: (02) 9382 2588

St Leonards

Royal North Shore Hospital
Family Cancer Service
St Leonards, NSW 2065
Ph: (02) 9926 6502
Fax: (02) 9926 6433

Westmead

Westmead Hospital
Familial Cancer Service
Department of Medicine
Westmead, NSW 2145
Ph: (02) 9845 6947
Fax: (02) 9687 2331

Wollongong

Wollongong Hospital
Wollongong Hereditary Cancer Clinic
Illawarra Cancer Care Centre
Private Mail Bag 8808, SCMC, NSW 2521
Ph: (02) 4222 5576
Fax: (02) 4222 5793

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Canberra

The Canberra Hospital
The Clinical Genetics Dept
PO Box 11 Woden, ACT 2605
Ph: (02) 6244 2133
Fax: (02) 6244 4625

Northern Territory - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Please note there are currently no clinical genetics services offered in the Northern Territory.

Genetic referrals from the Northern Territory should be forwarded to:
Genetic Health Queensland
C/- Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital
PO BOX Herston QLD 4029
PH: (07) 3636 1686 FAX: (07) 3636 1987

Support and information may be available through other specialty services, and from a general medical practitioner.

Queensland - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Herston

Genetic Health Queensland
Royal Children's Hospital and District Health Service
Herston Road, Herston QLD 4029
Ph: (07) 3636 1686 Fax: (07) 3636 1987
E: ghq@health.qld.gov.au

Brisbane

Brisbane North Breast Cancer Family Clinic
P O. Box 227, Virginia Business Centre,
Virginia, QLD 4041
Ph: (07) 3350 7425 Fax: (07) 3350 5102

Queensland - Familial Cancer Register

Herston

Queensland Familial Bowel Cancer Registry
Genetic Health Queensland
Royal Children's Hospital and District Health Service
Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4029
Ph: (07) 3636 5117 Fax: (07) 3636 9164
E: ghq@health.qld.gov.au

South Australia - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

North Adelaide

Women's and Children's Hospital
Familial Cancer Unit
C/- South Australian Clinical Genetics Service
Level 7, Samuel Way Building

72 King William Rd, North Adelaide, SA 5006
Ph: (08) 8161 6995
Fax: (08) 8161 7984

Tasmania - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Hobart

Royal Hobart Hospital

Tasmanian Clinical Genetics Service
GPO Box 1061, Hobart, TAS 7001
Ph: (03) 6222 8296 Fax: (03) 6222 7961

Victoria - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Parkville

Royal Melbourne Hospital
Family Cancer Centre
Grattan St, Parkville, VIC 3050
Ph: (03) 9342 7151 Fax: (03) 9342 4267

Heidelberg West

Austin Health Genetic Service

1 Floor, Building 6, 300 Waterdale Road

Heidelberg West, VIC, 3081

Ph: (03) 9496 3027 Fax: (03)96561539

Melbourne

Peter MacCullum Cancer Institute
The Jack Brockhoff Foundation Familial Cancer Centre
Locked Bag 1, A’Beckett St
Melbourne, VIC 8006
Ph: (03) 9656 1199
Fax: (03) 9656 1539

Clayton

Southern Health Familial Cancer Centre

Special Medicine Building
246 Clayton Rd, Clayton, VIC 3168
Ph: (03) 9594 2009 Fax: (03) 9594 6046

Victoria - Familial Cancer Register

Carlton

Victorian Family Cancer Register
Cancer Council, Victoria
1 Rathdowne St, Carlton, VIC  3053
Ph: (03) 9635 5000 Fax: (03) 9635 5270

Western Australia - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Subiaco

Familial Cancer Program
King Edward Memorial Hospital,
Level 3, Agnes Walsh House,
374 Bagot Road,
Subiaco, WA 6008
Ph: (08) 9340 1603   Fax: (08) 9340 1725

Western Australia - Familial Cancer Register

Subiaco

Familial Cancer Register
Genetic Services of Western Australia
374 Bagot Rd, Subiaco, WA 6008
Ph: (08) 9340 1603 Fax: (08) 9340 1725

New Zealand - Specialised Familial Cancer Services

Auckland

New Zealand Familial Bowel Cancer Register
Northern Regional Genetics Services
Auckland Hospital
Private Bag 92024
Lower Ground Floor, Building 18
Auckland
Ph (09): 307 4949 Extn: x25870
Fax (09): 307 4978

Christchurch

Southern Familial Bowel Cancer Register
Gastroenterology Department
Christchurch Hospital
Christchurch
Ph: (03) 364 0640 Extn: x86148

This web page is managed and authorised by Centre for Genetics Education. Last updated: 26 October, 2009