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Genetic tests, or DNA tests, can tell you
if your genetic makeup makes you more or less susceptible
to a particular disease.
When would you want to know this? If you are sick and suffering
from symptoms, but your doctor is having trouble deciding
for certain what you have. There are many diseases and conditions
with overlapping symptoms, and even the best doctors have
trouble giving a certain diagnosis. They have to resort to
a lot of trial and error treatments until something works.
A gene test could help your doctor narrow the possibilities
by showing what you could have inherited. For some diseases,
the gene test can be quite conclusive.
What is a Genetic Test?
Most genetic medicine begins with a genetic test.
The test itself is nothing more than a saliva or blood sample
that is sent to the lab. In a week or two your doctor receives
an analytical report in the mail with detailed recommendations
based on your DNA. The tests cost in the neighborhood of $200
to $300 each. Not all health plans cover genetic tests, but
more are beginning to recognize that genetic testing improves
treatment.
Everyone's DNA is different, and everyone has small variations
and mutations that affect how their body works on a cellular
level. The report sent to your doctor compares patterns found
in your DNA with patterns that research has shown are related
to certain diseases and physical tendencies.
Testing for Diagnosis and Prediction
Currently gene tests can detect susceptibility to more than
1,100 diseases. More are added to the list every day. Muscular
dystrophy, hemochromatosis--a disease of the liver--and breast
cancer are examples of some of the diseases where gene testing
has assisted the diagnosis. An excellent source covering progress
in gene testing throughout the world is www.Genetests.org,
a nonprofit database.
An example of a disease that runs in the family is hereditary
colon cancer. Going back several generations, if you know
that someone in your family had colon cancer, you would be
wise to consult your doctor or a genetic counselor to look
into it further. A thorough family history is done first,
identifying cancer of all types throughout the recent generations.
If genetic testing verifies the diagnosis of one current family
member, other relatives should be encouraged to get tested.
Get More Information
Research is going on constantly to add to our understanding
of the relationship between human genes and cellular processes.
This research is being translated into tests that doctors
can use to improve treatment and aid diagnosis. Ask your doctor
if you have questions about particular symptoms, or if you
have a history of disease in your family that concerns you.
Ask if he or she would recommend genetic testing.
If you are thinking of getting genetic tests, you should
know about genetic counselors. They are trained to help you
decide when tests are appropriate and to interpret the results.
They're experts at taking and interpreting family medical
histories.
If you want to learn more about any aspect of genetic medicine,
we have put links and articles in the Resources section of
this website to direct you to articles, books, and websites
with more explanations, in-depth research, and detailed information.
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