Welcome to MyGenerations

Your family history of disease is important and powerful information. The Center for Medical Genetics has created MyGenerations to help you to document your family cancer history and determine your own risk of developing cancer. You can share your report with your healthcare providers to help develop an individualized plan for early cancer detection and prevention. MyGenerations also serves as a guide as to whether you should seek a genetics consultation and consider genetic testing.

MyGenerations will

Build your personal family tree
Record your family history of cancer
Save this record for you to update in the future

MyGenerations will provide

A printout of your family tree including your family’s cancer history
A personalized cancer risk assessment you can share with your healthcare providers

The program will take 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your family. A timer at the bottom of the screen will alert you to your progress.

(About this program)

MyGenerations is made possible by the generous contributions of the Susan Willis Heiberger Memorial Fund.

About MyGenerations

MyGenerations was created by Suzanne O’Neill, MA, MS, PhD. Dr O’Neill is a clinical researcher and genetic counselor at the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Center for Medical Genetics, [Wendy Rubinstein, MD, PhD, Director].

Programming and interface design was provided by Larry J. Mahar at TouchTrak. The cancer risk assessment algorithms are from the following sources:

Gail Model
Gail, M. H. et al. "Projecting individualized probabilities of developing breast cancer for white females who are being examined annually." Natl Cancer Inst 81.24 (1989): 1879-86.

Myriad Prevalence Tables
Frank, T. S. et al. "Clinical characteristics of individuals with germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2: analysis of 10,000 individuals." J Clin.Oncol. 20.6 (2002):1480-90.

BRCAPRO
Berry, D. A. et al. "Probability of carrying a mutation of breast-ovarian cancer gene BRCA1 based on family history ." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 89.3 (1997): 227-38.

Parmigiani, G., D. Berry, and O. Aguilar. "Determining carrier probabilities for breast cancer-susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2." Am J Hum Genet 62.1 (1998): 145-58.

Other Cancer Risk Algorithms
Hampel, H. et al. "Referral for cancer genetics consultation: a review and compilation of risk assessment criteria." J Med Genet (2004): 41:81-91.

Susan Willis Heiberger

MyGenerations, a Family History Project, was created in fond memory of Susan Willis Heiberger.

In her honor Dee Murdough and Susan’s husband, Bob, along with many others, have generously contributed to establish a legacy that recognizes Susan’s selfless interest in family, friends and community. She had a sense of wonder about the world and a fascination with discoveries and solutions that would help people.

“Susan Heiberger was not just my dear friend, but an inspiration to everyone she knew,” says Dee Murdough. “Even when she was dying of breast cancer in 1998, she always wanted to help others and didn’t think of herself. Because she cared so much about so many people, I believe that she would be excited about the way MyGenerations helps individuals learn more about their family medical history so that they can live healthier lives.”