Should girls get genetic tests to tell breast cancer risk?
From USA Today:
Women are going for breast cancer gene testing in record numbers, forcing more parents to face a tough question: Should we test the kids?
About 100,000 tests for breast cancer gene mutations were done last year, double the number in 2005. The trend may grow even more because of widening insurance coverage and a new law banning genetic discrimination.
Medical experts advise against such testing before age 25, saying that little can be done to prevent or screen for breast or ovarian cancer until then, so the knowledge would only cause needless worry.
However, new studies and interviews by The Associated Press show that many people who have BRCA gene mutations — and even more of their offspring — disagree.
What do you think?
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