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When You Need Answers, Genetic Testing is a Game-Changer

Atrium Health Floyd + Harbin Clinic offer breast cancer expertise

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Genetic testing

ROME, Ga., Oct. 15, 2025 – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and their combined strengths make Atrium Health Floyd + Harbin Clinic northwest Georgia’s top experts in detecting and treating cancer.

We’re here for the ‘when,” and that close-to-home service includes genetic testing to help you find the answers you need. Visit www.onecareteam.org/cancer to learn more about our comprehensive cancer services.

A genetic counseling session involves a one-on-one meeting with our trained professionals. As part of the session, the professional also educates the patient on the role of genetics in cancer, genetic testing options and screening recommendations based on the family history.

Breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) are the genes most commonly associated with breast cancer.

If you inherit one of these mutated genes, your chances of getting breast cancer increase. There is a good chance that if you or family members have a history of breast or ovarian cancer that you have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Since those mutations are inherited, family members usually share those same traits.

Women who know they carry the mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene can take steps to manage their cancer risks, including more frequent, detailed cancer screenings and exams; taking certain drugs to prevent, delay or reduce the risks of cancer and elective, radical surgery.

Regardless of your genetic background, it is advisable to stay as healthy as you can.

  • Weight and weight gain are linked to the likelihood of getting breast cancer after menopause. Try to watch your diet and keep a regular exercise regimen.
  • Limit your intake of alcohol. Even moderate drinking has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
  • Studies also indicate women who breastfeed for several months may also lower their breast cancer risk.
  • Using hormone therapy after menopause can increase your risk of breast cancer. Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns.

Genetic testing can be beneficial in detecting other cancers. You should consider genetic counseling and testing for hereditary cancer risk if you or your family’s history includes any of the following:

  • Ovarian cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Prostate cancer that has spread to other areas of the body
  • Colon or uterine cancer at age 50 or younger
  • Triple negative breast cancer diagnosed at any age
  • Three or more close relatives on the same side of the family with any combination of breast or prostate cancer
  • Three or more close relatives with colon or uterine cancer on the same side of the family
  • A known genetic mutation in your family
  • Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry 

For more information about counseling or genetic testing, contact The Breast Center at Atrium Health Floyd at 706-509-6840.

About Atrium Health Floyd

The Atrium Health Floyd family of health care services is a leading medical provider and economic force in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd is part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Floyd strategically combined with Harbin Clinic in 2024 and employs more than 5,200 teammates who provide care in over 40 medical specialties at four facilities: Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center – a 361-bed full-service, acute care hospital and regional referral center in Rome, Georgia; Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center in Cedartown, Georgia; and Atrium Health Floyd Cherokee Medical Center in Centre, Alabama; and Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center Behavioral Health, also in Rome. Together, Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic provide primary care, specialty care and urgent care throughout northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. Atrium Health Floyd also operates a stand-alone emergency department in Chattooga County, the first such facility to be built from the ground-up in Georgia.

About Advocate Health

Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations and offers one of the nation's largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.