Check out your risk for breast or colon cancer before considering genetic testing

Having just completed a colonscopy--I was told that Medicare doesn't pay for the procedure and I'll be going on Medicare in a few months--I was naturally glad to hear that I am "normal". Wondering what factors other than genetics might affect my susceptibility to colon cancer, I was immediately interested in an article from KSL.com, the website of my local newspaper. I won't send you to the article, because it leaves out the most important information--how to find the website with the "new web-based program [that] can help you find out if you should seek out genetic testing." I checked out the Dana Farber link (www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu) and found an interesting test for colon cancer--and others for breast cancer, heart disease, etc. I took the colon cancer test and found that my risk is below average. The test also told me what to do to decrease my risk. However, since there was essentially no mention of genetics, I may not have found the right site. We'll see if anyone responds to my question to KSL. If I find out more, I'll let you know. Marie Godfrey, PhD