The following report by medical editor Marilyn Brooks first aired on Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m. on March 13, 2006.

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Of 213,000 new cases of breast cancer this year, statistics show one in 10 are hereditary -- passed down through the family tree by a defective gene.

Kathleen Schroeder inherited a lot of family traits from her parents, she said.

She also inherited something no one wants -- a genetic defect that places her risk of breast cancer at a staggering 80 percent.

"My grandmother was diagnosed at 57 with breast cancer at a late stage. My sister was diagnosed at 50 with her first episode and at 53 with her second episode. I was diagnosed at 54," Schroeder said.

That was just the beginning. Her family went for genetic testing. It turns out her daughter, her younger sister, and even her son all have the altered gene called BRCA2.

Genetic counselors said it is shocking but powerful knowledge for any family.

"Sisters and brothers have a 50 percent chance they might have inherited it. Children have a 50 percent chance they might inherit it. And so it's important that the rest of the family know about this," said genetic counselor Rob Pilarski.

Pilarski said roughly one in 500 people carries a gene for breast cancer. Want to know if you're one of them?

Look at your family tree.

If your grandmother, mother, or sister developed breast cancer at a young age, or if you have a few relatives who had breast or ovarian cancer, consider genetic counseling.

A simple blood test can tell you if you have an altered gene. Counselors then tell you when to begin cancer screenings.

"We also discuss preventive surgery. Mastectomies are very effective on reducing breast cancer risk. They don't eliminate it completely, but they decrease the risk by about 90 to 95 percent," Pilarski said.

In the last few years, statistics show more people are asking for genetic counseling and more insurance companies are covering the cost of the sessions and testing.

Most of our major hospitals have genetic counselors. To find one in your area call the National Cancer Institute's cancer information service at (800) 4-CANCER.