If you asked a family member how they were feeling about the news, how do you think they'd respond? Is there any kind of reaction you think they might have?
The options are:
The player chooses the response option: They might be afraid, concerned, or confused.
LINDA: Okay. Why do you think they'd react that way? Maybe something about them, or about the family?
The options are:
The player chooses the response option: Our family’s had a history of cancer.
LINDA: That makes sense. A person’s experience with cancer in the family could cause a lot of different reactions.
If the person you’re talking to had a reaction like anger, fear, shutting down, or brushing it off… how would you respond?
The options are:
The learner chooses the response option: “It makes sense you'd feel that way.”
LINDA: Yeah.
You can show you understand their reaction with something like “It makes sense that” or “I felt that way, too.” That's empathy, and it can put them at ease and help them work through their reaction.
Pic 4: The two examples above are called out on the right side with blue quotation marks. This then gets replaced by the words “Show empathy”. This term is associated with an icon of a smaller heart nested under a larger heart
LINDA: So how would you wrap up the conversation?
The options are:
The learner chooses the response option: Send them links with more info.
LINDA: Yes! Now it's time for the links and contact info!
The key things you want to share are what they can do next, if they want.
Pic 5: Screens of text on a dark blue background appear. Learners can click through at their own pace. The first screen has a large red icon with a white “i” info symbol inside and the following text:
Where they can learn more:
Send links to good information. You can find some in the Resources section.
Pic 6: The second screen features a large red icon with a doctor silhouette. A speech bubble appears with a DNA icon inside. The following text appears:
Who they could talk to:
They could consider genetic counseling. A genetic counselor can help you understand how your family history affects your chances of getting cancer. They can explain the pros and cons of testing and what tests to get.
Genetic counseling and testing are becoming more available and affordable, especially for people with family histories of certain cancers. The Resources section has more info.
Pic 7: The next screen features a large red icon with two white speech bubbles. The following text appears:
What to discuss
If they decide to talk to a doctor, healthcare provider, or genetic counselor, they’ll need to know what to discuss. They should ask if genetic counseling and testing are right for them. And they should mention anything your family knows about what gene mutations to look for.
LINDA: Remember, this is their health, not yours. Yeah, you might like it if they'd talk to a doctor, but don't try to pressure them or tell them what to do. Even if you disagree with their decisions, you have to respect them.
Because that's really what you're trying to do with this conversation. Your goal is to give them the info they need to make good decisions. And we just discussed how to get there: