The course opens by setting out the difference between these two kinds of cancer genetics, since they are often confused. On one hand there are inherited changes passed down through families that raise a person's lifetime risk of certain cancers. On the other there are the changes that build up inside a tumour over time and drive how it behaves. Keeping these two ideas clear is the foundation for everything that follows.

It then looks at hereditary cancer in more detail. The course covers the features that should raise suspicion that a cancer might run in a family, such as cancer appearing at a young age, several relatives affected, or particular patterns across generations. It works through some of the better-known inherited cancer syndromes and what they mean for the patient in front of you, as well as the wider implications for their relatives. A key theme here is that finding a genetic cause in one person is rarely just about that person, since it often carries information about risk for the whole family.

From there the course turns to the genetics of the tumour itself. It explains how understanding the specific changes within a cancer has moved treatment away from a one-size-fits-all approach and towards therapies matched to the individual tumour. Using familiar examples across common cancers, it shows how tumour testing can guide which treatments are likely to work, which are likely to fail, and how this informs decisions from the very start of treatment.

The course then covers testing in a practical way. It looks at who should be tested and when, the difference between testing a patient and testing their tumour, how to make sense of a report, and what these tests can and cannot tell you. It stresses that genetic results are one part of the clinical picture and are most useful when read alongside everything else that informs a cancer diagnosis and treatment plan.

Finally, the course addresses the human and practical side of oncology genetics. This includes how to talk to patients about inherited risk, the emotional weight that genetic information can carry, when to refer on for specialist genetic counselling, and the ethical questions that come with testing. It closes with a review of the main concepts, a chance to work through common questions, and a final assessment for CME credit.