Affordable, At Home Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer is Now Available
In 2013 Angelina Jolie announced that she had her ovaries removed and a preventative double mastectomy after learning that she had a BRCA1 genetic mutation, which meant that she had an 80% chance of getting breast cancer and 50% chance of getting ovarian cancer. The decision sparked a national debate about access to genetic information. Genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 typically costs $4000, which is not covered by insurance if there is no family history of cancer at a young age or a history of having had cancer themselves. This week, a new startup called Color Genomics launched a genetic test that women can do themselves at home using a vial of saliva. Women take the test at home and send it in and get results in 6-12 weeks for $249. The test looks at BRCA1 and BRCA2, the two genes responsible for breast and ovarian cancer. A woman with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation has a 55 to 65% chance of developing breast or ovarian cancer by age 70.
Co-founder Elad Gil says “What we are trying to do is to democratize access to this kind of information around breast and ovarian cancer risk and we wanted to do it in a responsible way.” Dr. Gil wanted to make the test affordable enough so that women would be able to pay for it themselves and not worry about insurance companies. The company plans to start a program where they will offer the testing for free for those women who cannot afford to buy the test.
The test can be ordered by a doctor, but Color Genomics plans on offering a direct-order option from its website. Genetic counseling is included in the price of the test, however they do not give medical advice. According to a New York Times article, an FDA spokeswoman said that if doctors place orders, testing companies that operate their own labs do not need FDA approval to offer their tests.
Some doctors are cautioning that women should not be misled if they should get a negative result as only 10-15% of breast and ovarian cancers are caused by genetic mutations. Proper genetic counseling is a vital step for women to understand what their results mean.
Women with a first degree relative who has breast or ovarian cancer, or women who have already had breast or ovarian cancer, or women who were adopted and don’t know their family history are the ideal candidates for this new test.
Genetic testing represents the future of medicine. With a test like this that a woman can do at home and then discuss her results with her doctor, she will be able to make vital decisions about her health care and her future.
For more information, please contact the office of Paulson & Nace, PLLC in Washington, D.C.
Christopher T. Nace works in all practice areas of the firm, including medical malpractice, birth injury, drug and product liability, motor vehicle accidents, wrongful death, and other negligence and personal injury matters.
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