Familial or family cancer centres help support people who are worried about their risk of developing cancer due to their family history.
Services offered at familial cancer centres include counselling, medical advice, research opportunities and information on topics such as inheriting cancer, individual risk and screening. They also provide genetic testing where appropriate.
Familial cancer centres provide services from sites in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. A visit is free and confidential, and interpreters are available.
Making an appointment
If you're concerned about your family's cancer history, discuss it with your doctor who can refer you to a familial cancer centre. Types of families often referred to a centre include:
- families with three or more individuals with a specific type of cancer – often breast, ovarian or bowel cancer.
- individuals with multiple cancers diagnosed at an unusually young age.
During the appointment, your family history will be reviewed, and you'll be given an estimate of your inherited risk of cancer. Options for early detection and prevention strategies may also be discussed. The first appointment will take about an hour, and you may need to visit the centre more than once.
After you attend a familial cancer centre, you and your doctor will receive a detailed letter about your visit. This will include recommendations for follow-up care.
Speak to a cancer nurse
Public familial cancer centres
Austin Health Clinical Genetics Service
Family Cancer Centre, Austin Health Campus
Level 8, Harold Stokes Building, 145 Studley Road, Heidelberg VIC 3084
Ph: (03) 9496 3027
Fax: (03) 9496 4385
Email: genetics@austin.org.au
Find out more information
Parkville Familial Cancer Centre
Parkville Familial Cancer Centre is a joint service incorporating Peter MacCallum and Royal Melbourne Familial Cancer Centres.
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Familial Cancer Centre
Level 1, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: (03) 8559 5322
Fax: (03) 8559 7371
Email: familialcancer@petermac.org
Find out more information
The Royal Melbourne Hospital
Department of Genomic Medicine and Familial Cancer
Level 2 Centre, 300 Grattan Street, Parkville VIC 3050
Ph: (03) 9342 7151
Fax: (03) 9342 4267
Email: familycancer@mh.org.au
Find out more information
Monash Health Familial Cancer Centre
Monash Medical Centre
246 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC 3168
Ph: (03) 9594 2009
Fax: (03) 9594 6046
Email: familial.cancer@monashhealth.org
Find out more information
Alfred Health Clinical Genetics & Genomics Service
The Alfred Centre
99 Commercial Road, Melbourne VIC 3004
Ph: (03) 9076 8554
Email: genetics@alfred.org.au
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The information on this webpage was produced by Cancer Council Victoria (2022). This webpage was last updated in February 2022.