Family History May Be Key to DISEASE RISK.

• Position: Statistical Data Included

Studies emphasize the role of family history in assessing a woman's overall risk of certain diseases, such as breast, ovarian, and other cancers. One such report in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviews the case of a 40-year-old woman with a strong family history of breast cancer. It concludes that knowing the details of the woman's family history are critical to assessing her specific risk factors and subsequent health strategy.

Breast cancer is not the only disease or medical condition in which family history plays a critical role. Ovarian cancer, hypothyroidism, heart disease, and adult onset diabetes exhibit a strong genetic component as well. To help women combat these diseases, the Vagisil Women's Health Center, Riverton, N.J., is launching HERstory, a public education campaign that urges females to learn the facts about their own family tree.

"Today's advanced medical technologies and screening tests give us and future generations a way to cope with genetic factors that were unavoidable in the past," explains physician Adelaide Nardone, an advisor to the VWHC. "That's why an accurate record of a woman's medical history ... should be the starting point for any discussion between a woman and her physician. This will enable the woman and her doctor to develop proactive personal health strategies that address her specific risk factors." (A similar strategy can work for men as well.)

The following diseases/conditions, ranging from minor to life-threatening, are known to have a genetic link:

Anxiety disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder have a strong genetic component. Some experts say they could be inherited in nearly 35 to 45% of the cases.

Autoimmune diseases--e.g., lupus, scleroderma, Sjorgren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis. A family history of autoimmune diseases increases the risk for both women and men. You may be born with genes that make you susceptible. However, you will not develop the disease unless you are exposed to a specific trigger or environmental factor.

Breast cancer. There is no other type of cancer that has such a strong genetic link. According to the American Cancer Society, incidence rates are now about 110 per 100,000 women. Some sources report that the average female has a 13% risk (over her lifetime), which jumps to 21% with one affected relative or 26% if that relative is her mother (40% if the mother was pre-menopausal when the cancer was diagnosed).

Colon cancer. Some...