聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Reading through the news I happened upon a question which I鈥檓 not sure I have an answer to. The article is found on CBC and is titled 鈥淕enetic risk: Should doctors warn you about incidental findings?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article then talks about genomic sequencing and if doctors are screening for a disease, but happen to discover a genetic condition unrelated to why the doctor ordered the test should they tell you.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The example they used included testing for colon cancer. The test to see if colon cancer was caused through genetics also points out risks to one鈥檚 future health such as a predisposition to develop Alzheimer鈥檚.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Is this something you would like to know and if it is, how would that information change your view towards life?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to a study by Dean Regier of the BC Cancer Agency, which was referenced in the article by CBC, of 1,200 adults most responded that they would appreciate being told about high-risk disease disorders with at least an 80 percent lifetime risk, IF there were effective medical or lifestyle intervention available.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For anything which did not have an effective way to manage the disease, however, people who participated in the study said it was useless information to have because there was nothing they could do about it anyway.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Regier and the group helping to conduct the study concluded that, 鈥淭he results indicate that to maximize benefit, participant-level preferences should inform the decision about whether to return incidental findings.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, if someone conducts a test which shows you may develop a genetic condition would you want to know? It鈥檚 not something that you were expecting to hear and I don鈥檛 think they can say definitively that you would develop the condition, but my understanding is that they can provide an educated and scientific percentage that you would.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It鈥檚 something I鈥檝e been asking myself since reading the article and in some instances I think it would be good to know because you could take preventative steps well in advance. You can keep on the best research out there and be knowledgeable about the condition if it comes to the point of you developing it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But, on the other hand it seems like doing this could possibly completely change how you are as a person. Would you begin to worry about the 鈥渨hat if鈥檚鈥� more than you would living your life? Would life become less enjoyable because you know hanging over your head is an 85 percent chance you鈥檒l develop Alzheimer鈥檚?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After reading the article I scrolled down to the comments where people wrote their opinions. One individual had written, 鈥淭he whole point of going to a doctor is medical diagnosis and treatment. Either we do this, as the only way to truly deal with health issues, or we eliminate doctor visits altogether.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Another commenter said, 鈥淭he issue is a lot of the genetic conditions you can screen for have no early treatment. So all that ends up happening is you live knowing that maybe, someday you will develop this debilitating condition and there鈥檚 nothing you can do about it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Another voice actually went away from what it means to the individual regarding their health, but what it means to insurance companies and if having something like that on your medical file mean the insurance company will refuse to take you on as a client or revoke insurance based on this information or increase the rates of insurance to that individual.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was interesting to read through these because they are all valid concerns regarding the future of genome testing, but as I sit here pondering the question of would I or wouldn鈥檛 I want to know鈥� I can鈥檛 seem to make up my mind.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Would you want to know or not?
