When you become our patient, your unique case is thoroughly reviewed by providers with expertise in your specific condition – including oncologists, surgeons, nurses, therapists and more. Together, they work to understand every aspect of your condition and create the best treatment plan for you.

The most important person on your cancer care team is you. We will keep you informed every step of the way and explain your diagnosis and treatment options in ways that everyone can understand.

ECU Health Cancer Care offers many of the newest screening tests and treatments, including minimally-invasive surgical techniques and other breakthrough technologies – often before other health care providers have access to them.

We actively participate in and promote clinical trials, giving you access to treatment options that would not otherwise be available.

When you’re dealing with cancer, it’s important to have easy access to the medicine and supplies that are crucial to your treatment. The ECU Health Specialty Pharmacy provides convenient access to cancer prescription medications and specialty items.

No matter where you live in eastern North Carolina, you have access to the knowledge and expertise of providers dedicated to treating cancer. The network of ECU Health-supported cancer care spans nine hospitals, five radiation oncology sites, three joint ventures and numerous outpatient clinics. The epicenter of these resources is the Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Tower at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville. The 418,000-square-foot facility is home to both inpatient and outpatient cancer services under one roof, making treatment for patients much more convenient.

Many patients come to ECU Health seeking a second opinion after receiving a cancer diagnosis from another provider. This can help you make a more informed decision about your treatment and care options. At ECU Health, those seeking second opinions receive the same comprehensive evaluation available to all new cancer patients.

ECU Health Cancer Care is proud to offer patients access to their own cancer care navigator. Throughout your treatment, your cancer care navigator is always just a phone call away. If you have questions or concerns.

There’s no time to rest in the fight against cancer. As the leading resource for academic medicine in eastern North Carolina, our partnerships with providers offer advanced treatment options and care plans for patients across the region. With new technologies, providers can collaborate real-time with multidisciplinary teams of experts working together to create a customized treatment plan for your unique cancer journey. ECU Health Cancer Care is not a single place. It is a fierce commitment to turn the tide against cancer for eastern North Carolina. It is a mission to improve the health and well-being of the 1.4 million people who proudly call this region home – because we believe in life without cancer.

Genetics Services

Your doctor may refer you to see a genetics counselor and have genetic testing if you have a personal or family history of cancer. Please call 252-816-2273 for an appointment or to speak to a nurse, please call 252-816-RISK.

For additional information about genetic risk assessment, cancer syndromes, testing and counseling please go to the NCI website.

Genetics Education
Genetic testing starts with an educational session that includes the process for testing, privacy acts, consents, and other information and/or considerations.  The education session covers many of the topics discussed in the video below and allows for you to ask questions before moving forward with genetic testing. Click here for more on Genetics Education.

Pre-Test Genetics Counseling
Pre-test Counseling for genetics can be completed via telephone, telehealth visit or in-person visit. This counseling helps you to understand if you meet the guidelines for testing, gives you an opportunity to ask more questions if needed, and helps to determine what genetic tests best meet your screening needs.

Genetic Panel
After the pre-test consult is complete, in consultation with your physician and genetic counselor, a genetic panel is recommended for testing.  The selected panel will include a varying number of genes to be included for testing.  Once the gene panel is selected you will be called to provide a sample for testing.  You may choose to have the test completed via bloodwork at our lab or provide a saliva sample through an at-home mail kit.

Results
Once the result comes back from the lab, you will be notified and setup with a post-test consultation.  The results will be one or a combination of the following for each specified gene.

• Positive Genetic Test Results could alert you to a significantly higher probability of getting cancer at an early age and throughout life. Although only 10 percent of cancers come from predetermined genetics passed through your parents, this subset of patients may have up to a 5-fold increase in cancer risk. This may lead to recommendations for increased and/or early screening. Most enhanced screenings that meet the guidelines are covered by insurance and in some cases preventative surgery may also be covered by insurance.
• Negative Test Results do not eliminate your cancer risk, but are a reassuring finding. Through the genetic consultation process we look at all risk factors utilizing an evidence-based approach. As a result of the genetic consulting session, the 5-year and lifetime risk for various cancers are numerically calculated and given to you. This information may still qualify you for high-risk screening and/or you may speak to a provider about reducing those risk factors.
• A Variant of Unknown Significance (VUS) is neither positive nor negative. It simply means the identified mutation or variant is still being researched. When more information is learned, most VUS’ become negative results, however there is a small risk of it becoming positive at some point in the future as well. Updates on the significance of these findings will be communicated by the testing company. You can also reach out to your physician or genetic counselor to inquire about updates on your VUS results.

Since your panel may contain many genes, there could be many variations of results containing Positives, Negatives, and VUS’.

Post-Test Consultation
Once the result is communicated to you, it is important to speak with a Board Certified Genetics Counselor, to better understand the meaning of your results.  During the post-test consultation, a genetics counselor will review next steps such as:

• For a Positive result, it may mean notifying family members of the need to have testing completed and providing them forms to receive possible free testing. A positive result will include a numerical value of your lifetime cancer risk for various types of cancers so that you can be referred to high risk screening, surgical oncology, or lifestyle medicine.
• For VUS or Negative results, patients are also assessed for their personalized screening needs based on their lifetime risk score as well as utilizing the evidence-based models that look at more than just genetic risk.