Genomic Profiles for Disease Risk
Predictive or Premature?
- Kenneth Offit, MD, MPH
- Author Affiliation: Clinical Genetics Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
There has been a recent explosion of commercial availability of genomic “tests” for diseases, conditions, traits, and ancestry. Dozens of companies advertise their services directly to consumers who, if they are willing to provide a DNA sample (usually from saliva) and are also willing to pay the charges, can obtain genetic information about various health conditions. These “conditions” range from the tendency to form wet vs dry earwax to risk for significant adult-onset diseases (Table).1
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Table. Examples of Commercial Direct-to-Consumer Genomic and Genetic Testing Laboratoriesa
Unlike a decade ago, when DNA tests for cancer risk were carefully introduced to health care professionals in advance of widespread marketing,2 in 2008 the commercialization of genomic profiling started as a for-profit direct-to-consumer marketing campaign largely intended to bypass health care professionals. Now, most physicians learn through the media of the availability of “genome scans” that can be ordered for …
