Clinical assessment of breast cancer risk based on family history.

Family history is a key component of breast cancer risk assessment. Family history provides clues as to the likelihood of a hereditary breast cancer syndrome and the need for a cancer genetics referral and can be used in the setting of a breast cancer risk assessment model to estimate a woman's risk. Appropriate breast cancer screening and risk reduction management plans rely on an accurate assessment of a patient's family history. This article reviews the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Breast Cancer Risk Reduction and provides insight into the application of the guidelines in clinical practice.