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Do it yourself cancer gene testing raises concerns

BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7492.617-a (Published 17 March 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:617
  1. Anne Harding
  1. New Jersey

A US company is offering genetic tests for susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer direct to consumers. Representatives of DNA Direct insist that the counselling and testing that they provide is identical with what a woman would get at a cancer centre—with the exception that she receives test results and counselling by telephone and online, rather than in person. But critics say that the approach puts women and their doctors at risk of not getting the whole story.

The company offers a single point mutation test for $586 (£306; €439); a screen for three mutations found …

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