About Genetionary

Genetionary.org is an ad-free resource about genes, genetic mutations, and hereditary cancer.

My name is Mark A. Hicks, and I'm the creator of Gentionary.org. I was a freelance illustrator for 40-plus years and looking forward to retirement, but hereditary cancer changed everything. After my late wife was diagnosed with cancer caused by a BRCA2 mutation, I became a determined awareness and prevention advocate.

When I was my late wife's cancer caregiver, I often found myself trying to explain to others about her diagnosis, how her cancer could have been prevented, and how our adult child ended up with the exact same BRCA2 mutation as her mother. But I quickly realized that many people lack a basic understanding of genetics, genetic inheritance, and cancer. So, being an illustrator with decades of experience creating educational materials, I started drawing pictures to help explain it.

My wife’s horrible death from a hereditary cancer could have been prevented. And finding that my child had inherited the same BRCA2 mutation from her mother and was at-risk of getting cancer turned me into a determined advocate.

I felt what I had illustrated needed to be shared, so I created Genetionary.org. An ad-free site with a simple genetic mutation glossary, my infographics, and materials for sharing family health/cancer history. It’s just a simple site with a simple focus: to help raise more awareness about hereditary cancer and how it can be prevented.

1 in 279 individuals have a genetic mutation that puts them at risk of cancer. Often, these mutations have been passed down for generations.

Please share. Knowledge is power and can be life-saving.

My soul mate of 40 years died horribly and needlessly because information wasn’t shared. Nobody should die of a preventable cancer. Nobody!