Some patients may soon find out more about their genetic risks than they wanted to — such as whether they are at higher risk for breast cancer or a heart condition — if doctors heed the advice in a long-awaited report issued Thursday.
The report’s authors, led by a Boston medical geneticist, urge doctors who sequence a patient’s full set of genes for any medical reason to also look for two dozen unrelated genetic conditions, and to tell the individual if they find any of those conditions lurking in the DNA.
Comments
It's not the disclosure to patients that is of concern, it is disclosure to insurance companies, employers, government agencies that could be troubling. Or maybe that train has already left the station? I don't see any mention in this article.
I agree with PL. The cat my be out of the bag as far as how genetic information will be used or misused in the future. For example if you have xyz mutation that puts you at risk for a disease regardless of whether you have that disease or not, will an insurer insure you? Maybe people should think twice about volunteering to give over their DNA to research unless they know for sure how it will be used. Our genetic codes are unique to each of us maybe something we should all be very protective of so that someone else take advantage or capitolize on the information to our own detriment. Like GATTACA but real.