Employees Jump at Genetic Testing. Is That a Good Thing?

Genetic testing for hereditary diseases and other potential health conditions is increasingly being offered to employees, but this trend is unfolding as federal health agencies, researchers, and scientists debate over whether these tests are ready for widespread adoption, reports the New York Times . Experts warn for persons of average risk in the general public, a screening may have little value, and could even be harmful. They note an individual without a family history of cancer may have the same mutations as high-risk patients, but a lower risk of developing cancer. A federal advisory panel on evidence-based preventive medicine does not recommend routine screening for certain harmful breast cancer mutations for women who lack cancer or a family history of cancer. The panel deemed that the net benefit of routine genetic testing for these women could range from minimal to potentially harmful. Most cancers do not in fact result from hereditary mutations in single genes that these tests spot, and some experts warn extending use of the tests to the wider population may lead some people of average risk to skip recommended screening tests. Furthermore, it could cause people to undergo needless medical procedures. However, advocates such as Color Genomics CEO Othman Laraki contend genetic screening can help certain people prevent or disrupt diseases at an earlier stage when treatment would cost less.