A 45yearold woman with premenopausal breast cancer comes for genetic counseling. She says that her mother died of "abdominal cancer" at age 65 years. The patient has been estranged from her family since several years before her mother's death and remembers only vague details about her mother's illness. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate next step by the counselor to establish the diagnosis in the mother?
A. Have the patient obtain her mother's death certificate.
B. Ask the patient to identify a family member who is more familiar with her mother's medical history.
C. Note the cancer in her record and continue to facilitate recall of other family cancers.
D. Request the deceased woman's medical records from her treating physician because consent is not required when a provider is the requestor.