Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer
Supporting your practice and patients with identifying and managing hereditary cancer
As a trusted partner for hereditary cancer solutions, Sema4 provides testing tools and support to help you implement a hereditary cancer risk assessment program at your practice. From family history screening to patient financial support and genetic counseling, our solutions will help you identify patients who are appropriate for testing and ensure those in need of further surveillance are not missed.
Hereditary cancer testing is crucial for
stratifying risk and improving outcomes
Hereditary cancer testing is paramount for the early detection of certain cancers. Approximately 1 in every 4 women who visit an OB/GYN meet guideline criteria for further evaluation and testing1-3. By incorporating a hereditary cancer testing program into your practice, you can help patients with a personal or family history of heritable cancer understand their risk so that risk-reducing medical management decisions can be made to improve their health.

Testing for additional hereditary cancer genes may also be recommended to help improve patient outcomes.
Example of high-risk genes for breast or gynecologic cancers4-13
Choosing Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer for your practice
Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer offers a holistic approach to support OB/GYNs with the identification and management of patients at risk for hereditary cancer.
At Sema4, we believe that genetic counseling plays an important role in supporting and educating patients throughout the testing process. Our experienced, board-certified genetic counselors are available for all positive results and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). If your patient goes through genetic counseling, you will receive detailed consultation notes via EMR, portal, or fax, that summarize the session.
Connect with us today to discuss how we can integrate our high-quality testing and best-in-class services into your practice.
Panel Options
Our panels include all hereditary cancer genes with guideline-based risk and management recommendations, to ensure a comprehensive screening. For OB/GYN practices, the most frequently ordered Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer panel is our 36-gene High Prevalence Panel, which has been carefully curated to cover well-documented genes linked to multiple cancer types.
High Prevalence Panel:
- 36 genes associated with the most common cancer types, including breast, colon, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, renal, uterine, and other cancers
- All genes are either guideline-driven or have well-established evidence of increased risk for common cancers
- Majority of genes are clinically actionable
Comprehensive Panel:
- 72 Genes associated with known or possible increased risk of hereditary cancer across the major organ systems
Universal Panel:
- 112 Genes associated with known or possible increased risk of hereditary cancer across the major organ systems*
- One of the most comprehensive hereditary cancer testing panel available for patients with a family history of multiple cancers
We also offer a range of other panels that may be appropriate for your patients. In total, Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer can screen for up to 113 genes across 17 different panel sizes. View our Panel Guide for full details on all Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer panels.
Best-in-class support and service, every step of the way
Our comprehensive workflow options can seamlessly integrate with your practice and our highly knowledgeable team is dedicated to partnering with practices such as yours to deliver the best possible care to patients.
Provider Support
- Flexible ordering and workflow integrations
- Industry-standard turnaround time of 14-21 days
- In-depth reporting of results, actionable findings, and VUS reclassifications
- Post-test counseling for patients with non-negative results
Patient Support
- Board-certified genetic counselors
- Pre- and post-test videos developed by our genetic counselors for patient education and support
- Extensive network coverage, benefits investigation and patient financial support
- Commitment to helping patients understand testing and implications for the prevention and active management of cancer
Advanced testing technology developed by industry-leading experts
Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer is delivered via our NGS-based >6,000 gene medical exome platform, Sema4 Signal TraversaTM , with clinical biobanking to support future testing. Multiple analysis methods are used to ensure the highest detection rate for every gene on our panels.
Getting Started
When to order Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer
- Patient presents with a personal or family cancer history suspicious of a hereditary cancer syndrome
- Patient receives Family History Questionnaire result of “at risk” or “more information needed”
Ordering options available via Provider Portal or paper
- In-office testing is available. Please contact us for more information.
- At-home testing is also available for patients unable to see their provider in person. Learn more.
Resources:
Hereditary Cancer
Family History Questionnaire
Designed to help your patients assess their risk of hereditary cancer. For more information on how to implement this questionnaire within your practice, kindly fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page and someone from our team will be happy to help.
Pre-test educational video
If you believe that a hereditary cancer test is right for your patient, then ask your patient to watch this informational video to learn more about the testing process.
Connect with us today
*MSH3 is available as an add-on gene to any of the Sema4 Signal Hereditary Cancer panels.
References
1. Lindsay Dohany, et al. Hereditary cancer risk assessment using a chatbot in women presenting to obstetrics and gynecology practices across the U.S. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2019 Dec 10-14; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-08-39; 2. Frezzo, T., et al. The genetic family history as a risk assessment tool in internal medicine. Genet Med 5, 84–91 (2003); 3. DeFrancesco MS, et al. Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment and Genetic Testing in the Community-Practice Setting. Obstet Gynecol. 2018 Nov;132(5):1121-1129; 4. Petrucelli N, Daly MB, Pal T. BRCA1- and BRCA2-Associated Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. 1998 Sep 4 [Updated 2016 Dec 15]. In: Adam MP, Ardinger HH, Pagon RA, et al., editors. GeneReviews® [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2020. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1247/; 5. Bonadona V, et al. Cancer risks associated with germline mutations in MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6 genes in Lynch syndrome. JAMA. 2011 Jun 8;305(22):2304-10; 6. Ryan NAJ, Morris J, Green K, et al. Association of Mismatch Repair Mutation With Age at Cancer Onset in Lynch Syndrome: Implications for Stratified Surveillance Strategies. JAMA Oncol. 2017;3(12):1702–1706; 7. Schon K, Tischkowitz M. Clinical implications of germline mutations in breast cancer: TP53. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2018;167(2):417-423; 8. Tan MH, et al. Lifetime cancer risks in individuals with germline PTEN mutations. Clin Cancer Res. 2012;18(2):400-407; 9. Antoniou AC, et al. Breast-cancer risk in families with mutations in PALB2. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(6):497-506; 10. Xin Yang, PhD, et al. Cancer Risks Associated With Germline PALB2 Pathogenic Variants: An International Study of 524 Families. Journal of Clinical Oncology 38, no. 7 (March 01, 2020) 674-685; 11. Giardiello FM, et al. Very high risk of cancer in familial Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Gastroenterology. 2000 Dec;119(6):1447-53; 12. Hearle N, et al. Frequency and spectrum of cancers in the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 May 15;12(10):3209-15; 13. Kaurah P, et al. Founder and recurrent CDH1 mutations in families with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. JAMA. 2007 Jun 6;297(21):2360-72.