Cancer runs in families. We stop it from running blind.
Up to 10% of all cancers are strictly hereditary — passed down through generations.
For these families, cancer is not a random stroke of bad luck; it is a predictable, manageable risk hiding in their genetics.
The Onkommon Heritage program is designed to identify inherited genetic risks years, or even decades, before cancer ever appears. By finding the specific mutation that runs in your family's bloodline, we give you the ultimate clinical advantage: the time to prevent it.
Crucially, Heritage is a 100% Genetic Counsellor-led program. We do not believe in emailing you a life-altering genetic result blindly. From your pre-test consent to your post-test risk management plan, a licensed clinical expert walks beside you and your family.
One positive result protects an entire family.
We don't just test you — we protect your children, siblings, and parents with a comprehensive family risk-management plan.
- Pre-Test Counselling: Map your family tree and understand the science
- 157-Gene Comprehensive Panel: BRCA, Lynch, and 147 more
- Indian Population-Adjusted Data: No false positives from Western databases
- Post-Test Risk Management Plan: NCCN/ASCO guidelines, surgical options, chemoprevention
- Cascade Testing: Rapid, cost-effective screening for relatives
What is Heritage?
It is critical to understand the difference between our Signature tests and our Heritage tests.
Signature (Somatic) Testing
Looks at the DNA inside an existing tumour to figure out how to kill it. A war plan for today.
Tumour DNA · Actionable mutationsHeritage (Germline) Testing
Looks at the DNA you were born with (from a simple blood or saliva sample) to see if you have a high lifelong risk of developing cancer, and if you can pass that risk to your children.
Inherited DNA · Family riskThe Genetic Counsellor (GC) advantage.
Discovering you carry a hereditary cancer gene affects your children, your siblings, and your parents. It is a profound medical and emotional moment. You should never face it alone.
Pre-Test Counselling
Before any test is ordered, you meet with your GC. They map your family tree, explain the science, set clear expectations, and secure ICMR-mandated informed consent.
Step 1 · Informed consentNo Blind Emails
Your Heritage results are never sent to you without context. You receive your results in a dedicated session with your GC — not in an impersonal inbox.
Step 2 · Contextual deliveryPost-Test Clinical Session
Once the lab completes the sequencing, your GC schedules a dedicated session to deliver the results. They translate the complex genetics into a clear, actionable reality for you and your family in plain English and Hindi.
Step 3 · Actionable planChoose your Heritage pathway.
We offer a comprehensive panel to find the initial family mutation, and a targeted cascade program to rapidly protect the rest of your relatives.
Heritage Germline Panel
- Key Genes Covered: BRCA1, BRCA2, Lynch syndrome genes (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2), PALB2, ATM, CHEK2, CDH1, STK11, PTEN, TP53, and 147 more.
- The GC Guarantee: Includes both the Pre-Test and Post-Test Genetic Counsellor sessions.
Heritage Cascade
- Rapid & Cost-Effective: We perform a fast, highly targeted test on your relatives looking only for that single family mutation.
- Ongoing Care: Every relative who tests positive through the Cascade program is immediately enrolled in our Blueprint navigation system to manage their lifelong preventive care.
Why Indian genomics matter.
A genetic test is only as good as the database it is compared against. Western labs frequently misdiagnose Indian patients.
Many global testing labs rely heavily on Caucasian genetic databases. Because Indian genetics are diverse and unique, standard labs often flag normal Indian DNA variations as dangerous "Variants of Uncertain Significance" (VUS), causing unnecessary panic.
The Northeast India Variant Cohort — Powered by the Kwatra Computational Cancer Institute and Research Centre (KCCIRC), the Heritage program utilizes proprietary Indian population-adjusted variant classification. By cross-referencing your DNA against massive, highly specific Indian cohorts (including our specialized Northeast India databases), we drastically reduce false positives and prevent the common misclassification of Indian variants. You get a result engineered for your exact ethnicity.
Indian Population-Adjusted Classification
Our proprietary database reduces false positives and prevents the misclassification of Indian variants.
What you actually get.
If a mutation is found, we don't just tell you about the risk; we tell you exactly how to manage it.
Risk Classification
A clear definition of your specific lifetime risk (High / Moderate / Low) for various cancers.
NCCN & ASCO Risk-Management Plan
A custom medical surveillance schedule based on global oncology guidelines. For example, if you carry a BRCA mutation, your plan will detail the exact age you should start alternating MRIs and mammograms every 6 months.
Preventive Surgical Options
Objective, clinical guidance on risk-reducing surgeries (like prophylactic mastectomies or oophorectomies) to discuss with your doctor.
Chemoprevention
Mapping out FDA-approved medications that can actively lower your chances of developing the cancer.
The Family Cascade Plan
A precise map of exactly which relatives need to be tested next, in what order of urgency, and at what price.
Plain Language Summaries
A 2-page summary of your results translated into plain English and Hindi.
Who should consider Heritage?
Hereditary cancer leaves clues. You should speak with our Genetic Counsellors if your family history includes:
Cancer diagnosed at an unusually young age — e.g., Breast or Colon cancer before age 50.
Multiple close family members on the same side with the same or related cancers (e.g., Breast and Ovarian, or Colon and Uterine).
Rare cancers — such as male breast cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, or pheochromocytoma.
Someone in your family who has had more than one primary cancer — e.g., breast cancer in both breasts.
A known genetic mutation already identified in your family bloodline.
KCCIRC Clinic Wing
While Onkommon Heritage provides you with world-class genetic risk data and counselling, we understand that sometimes you need a formal medical perspective on preventative surgeries or surveillance.
If you require a formal, medical second opinion from a licensed oncologist or surgeon regarding your hereditary risk, Onkommon is proud to partner directly with the KCCIRC Clinic Wing.
Once your Heritage report is generated, you can choose to seamlessly transition your case to the KCCIRC multidisciplinary board for a formal clinical review and preventative prescription.
Please note: A formal medical consultation with KCCIRC doctors is a separate clinical service billed in addition to your Heritage test.
KCCIRC Multidisciplinary Board
Led by senior oncologists and surgeons, our board reviews hereditary risk cases with the full weight of genetic and clinical expertise — delivering a formal written opinion on preventative options.
Delhi & SikkimFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Heritage Hereditary Risk Panels.
No. The Heritage panel is a germline test. It looks at the DNA you inherited to see if you have a higher risk of developing cancer in your lifetime. It does not detect active tumours. If you have active cancer, you need our Signature somatic testing panels.
Absolutely not. A positive result is not a diagnosis of cancer; it is a diagnosis of risk. In precision oncology, knowing your risk is your greatest weapon. It allows you and your doctors to begin intensive screenings to catch cancer at Stage 1, or to undergo preventive treatments so the cancer never forms at all.
Genetic testing can have deep emotional, psychological, and even insurance implications for you and your family. We require a pre-test session to ensure you fully understand what the test can reveal so you can make a truly informed decision. It is the ethical standard of clinical genetics.
No. Most hereditary cancer mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. This means if you have the mutation, each of your children (and siblings) has a 50% chance of inheriting it, and a 50% chance of not inheriting it. This is exactly why we use the Heritage Cascade program to test them individually.
Yes. Your DNA is your most private data. Onkommon operates in strict adherence to ICMR guidelines and global data protection standards. Your genetic results are never shared with insurance companies, employers, or unauthorized third parties without your explicit, written consent.