The short answer
In cancer care, genetic testing often means testing inherited DNA to learn about cancer risk in a person or family. Genomic testing, tumor genetic testing, or biomarker testing usually means testing cancer cells for changes that may guide treatment. The words are confusing because both involve genes, but the questions are different.
Inherited genetic testing looks for cancer risk changes you were born with.
Tumor genomic or biomarker testing looks for changes in cancer cells that may guide treatment.
One kind of test does not automatically replace the other.
Ask whether results could affect family members, treatment choices, or both.
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The full explanation.
The short answer
Both tests involve genes, but they answer different questions. Inherited genetic testing asks whether you were born with a DNA change that raises cancer risk. Tumor genomic or biomarker testing asks whether the cancer cells have features that may guide treatment.
Inherited genetic testing
Inherited testing is often done with blood or saliva. It looks for germline variants that may run in families. Results can affect screening, prevention, surgery choices, and whether relatives should consider testing.
Tumor genomic or biomarker testing
Tumor testing looks at the cancer itself, often using biopsy tissue and sometimes blood. It may look for mutations, fusions, proteins, hormone receptors, MSI, TMB, or other biomarkers that help match treatment to the cancer.
Why the words get mixed up
A tumor test report may use the word 'genetic' because cancer cells have genetic changes. That does not always mean the change was inherited. Conversely, an inherited test may affect risk planning even when it does not choose a current treatment.
What to ask next
Ask whether the sample is tumor tissue, blood for inherited DNA, or blood for a liquid biopsy. Then ask what decisions the result could affect: treatment, family risk, screening, prevention, or all of the above.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸Is tumor genomic testing the same as inherited genetic testing?
No. Tumor testing looks at changes in cancer cells. Inherited testing looks for DNA changes present in the body from birth that may affect family risk.
▸Can a tumor test find something inherited?
Sometimes a tumor result raises the question of inherited risk, but a separate germline genetic test may be needed to answer that family-risk question.
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