Doctors suggest a preventative step they say is just as important as getting a cholesterol screening or a mammogram, but say few people ever take the time to do it.

Marshfield Clinic genetic counselor Christina Zaleski says finding out your family's medical history can help you and your doctor better identify health risks that run in your genes.

"Family history can be very valuable in sorting out is that one person in the family a sporadic cancer, is it just random chance, was it a family cluster of just one type of cancer, or is there evidence that there might be a risk for a heredity cancer syndrome,” Zaleski said.

She says family reunions are a good time to ask your relatives about any health updates.

The Marshfield Clinic website has family history forms available to download. Just click on the “Document Your Family Health History” tab:
http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/patients/?page=geneticServices_healthInformation