Women's Health Health Home>>Women's Health>>Health news Written by: Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, QMI Agency Jul. 7, 2012
Its been said that all would be well if there were no buts.
Unfortunately, in genetics there are many "buts" and unwary traps for unsuspecting medical consumers. So if you have the choice to receive genetic testing, be sure you know these pros and cons.
Theres no doubt that genetic testing is a huge benefit under certain conditions. For instance, when this subject is discussed, most people think positively about genetic screening to diagnose a child destined to be born with Downs syndrome.
It would also be madness to bury your head in the sand when there is a genetic family history of colon cancer. By being aware that a faulty gene is present, regular colonoscopies can save lives by detecting polyps long before they become malignant.
So, on the surface, it appears that finding these problems is a good thing. Its like the Holiday Inn TV ad that promises no surprises.
But what about the "buts"? A report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal points out the other side of the coin. Dr. James Evans, professor of genetics at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, says: We rarely in medicine do unalloyed good, some of the tools we employ are blunt so you had better have great information before you employ them.
For instance, screening can detect types of breast cancer that will become invasive in some women, but not in others. The trouble is theres no way of knowing which group a patient will fall into. It reminds me of what a Jewish friend, who owned a department store, once said to me: My problem is that half of my advertising is worthless. But I dont know what half!
So the downside is that many women will be subjected to surgery or radiation because it is not known who needs to be treated. Its the price some women pay for having this genetic test. Some will be overdiagnosed and some overtreated.
Then suppose you are a 25-year-old woman who discovers she has a gene that will cause breast cancer. But currently its impossible for the gene to pinpoint the date. So should she have both breasts removed when this cancer may not appear until she is 80 years of age?
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Pros and cons of genetic testing