Genetic diagnoses can occur anytime in a person's life, before they are born and into adulthood. Depending on the type of disorder, different techniques are used to identify the genetic change responsible.
A woman with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer is worried about her daughters' risk for the disease. What sort of guidance might a genetic counselor provide in this situation and others like it?
Since genes are packed into chromosomes, abnormal chromosomes can actually cause genetic diseases. What methods have scientists invented to study these abnormalities?
How can prospective parents ensure that they will have a healthy baby? Prenatal testing can provide parents with information about their child’s genetic identity.
A genetic screen can potentially diagnose more than 1,200 genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities. If you were a medical geneticist, how would you pick the best test for your patient?
Many different genetic loci have been found to be associated with different human conditions, behaviors and other phenotypes. Some companies allow you to get your diagnosis from the comfort of your own home. But is this always a good thing?
Genetic screening companies offer direct to consumer (dtc) genetic tests that let you check your genetic predisposition for diseases without a doctor's order! Would you buy one?
Just because testing can be done without the advice of a doctor, does that mean it should be? This controversy lies at the heart of the field of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing.
If you are diagnosed with a genetic predisposition for a certain disease, could your employers fire you? Could you lose your health insurance? Life insurance? These issues are at stake in an age of genome sequencing and direct-to-consumer genetic tests.
For disorders that are preventable or treatable, most people agree that genetic testing makes sense. But for diseases with no preventative measures, would you want to know if you were affected?
Genomics could enable the misuse and abuse of our most personal information. On the other hand, could genetic privacy acts like GINA and HIPAA close the shutters on progress in health research?
