Keeping Abreast of the Medical Profression [OR] Ignorance is Bliss

I caught a few seconds of a story on CNN about the makers of a genetics test for breast cancer possibly getting sued by a local prosecutor for fear mongering. CNN.com doesn't have this story posted yet, so I found an older story you can check out: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8790154_ITM.

Basically, this company developed the BRAC analysis test, which screens for the BRC1 and BRC2 genes, which have been linked to breast and ovarian cancers. If you have a family history of either type of cancer, you probably ought to be tested, right?

You might think so if you saw their ad, but this isn't necessarily true. Having this genetic mutation may put you up to 80% more likely to develop cancer, but they only cause a very small portion of cancers diagnosed. Most health insurance companies don't cover the test, which costs several thousand dollars. The main concern here is that only a very small percentage of women actually need the test, and Myriad's ads could cause many more women to pay a lot of money for a test they don't need.

And what about the unnecessary worry this causes? Breast cancer is probably the single biggest fear most women have (even though heart disease is the top ladykiller). We don't need to be concerned about getting an unnecessary test, or worrying about how to pay for it.

And if you take the test and find out you do have the gene? The 80% chance of cancer may not be right; it's probably clser to 50%. Even if it is, what do you do now, while you're still cancer-free? Daily self-exams? Surgery to biopsy every knot you find? Mastectomy?

And what do you think will happen when insurance companies find out you carry a gene that may or may not lead to cancer? Your insurance rates will go up. Getting a new life or health insurance policy may be next to impossible.

I'm all about self-education and empowering patients, but hand-picking which facts you choose to tell people can be dangerous. The medical arena needs to be motivated by ethics and healing, not by profits. The proposal to have this test ought to be initiated by a doctor who understands the test, the pros and cons, and the patient's risk factors, not by a company who needs to increase customers to increase its profits.

These genes are only responsible for a very small number of cancers, so obviously monthly self-exams, annual check-ups, and mammograms are your best bet for diagnosing cancer. From what I understand, the BRAC analysis can't diagnose existing cancer; it will only tell you that some day -- maybe tomorrow, maybe in 20 years -- you might get breast cancer.

Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.