Abstract
The World Health Organization Expert Committee has recommended increased training of medical personnel in medical genetics with a particular emphasis on genetic counseling. Increased patient awareness of the importance of genetics in many medical problems including cancer has served to increase the demand for genetic counseling services. Genetic counseling is best handled by the physician and the surgeon will find many genetic counseling implications in the management of his cancer patients. A review of the subject documents a wide variety of cancer problems which have genetic counseling implications and which could assuage the patient's well being and in certain circumstances could aid in cancer control.