In the natural health care world, or more specifically the integrative medicine and functional medicine arena, genes play a huge role in certain disease but more importantly in how patients are treated. Being genetically predisposed to something does NOT mean that you will get it. It just means that you have to be a little more diligent than someone that is not genetically predisposed.

A common saying is “genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger." Many studies and scientists have estimated that 60-70% off all current cancers are behavioral or environmental in nature. Essentially, we are giving ourselves cancer by living unhealthy lifestyles, exposing ourselves to toxins, poor nutrition, and neglecting our bodies.

The huge increase in cancer rates is not due to our genes changing — it is due to external factors.

Knowing if you have a BRCA1 gene or MTHFR genetic predisposition will tell us how certain areas of your body may malfunction, under-function, and where we will need to supplement or support your body to minimize your risk of developing disease or cancer.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That saying is never more true than when talking about cancer prevention. The functional medicine approach considers all aspects health and function and how those areas can affect other areas of the body.

We will often run genetic tests to screen for certain SNP’s that may be influencing your cancer development.