Comments on: Your Take: Would You Get Genetic Testing?

By: Meg

Meg — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:02:20 +0000

I’m not sure what you mean by “genetic testing.” It sounds like you are referring to what amounts to a very expensive personality and physical indicator.

However some genetic testing is very specific and can be very useful, for instance the type wherein you get tested to see if you are likely to pass on a serious or fatal disorder to a child. These specific tests are less expensive and sometimes covered by certain types of insurance, especially if you are at high risk.

My mother was genetically tested for the “breast cancer gene” after she went in remission from the disease at 45. Her mother, sister, and grandmother had also had breast cancer. She never would have told us (her 4 daughters) that she’d been tested, except for the fact that the test revealed she did NOT in fact have that genetic predisposition.

Personally, I’d never get tested to see if I had the breast cancer gene. If it was positive, I don’t want to go through life waiting/expecting to have a disease that may never materialize. If it’s negative, I don’t want to be surprised if it does happen. I have a large family history of the disease, and I’m OK with the fact that I have a high probability of contracting it one day. In the meantime I’ll eat as well as I can, stay healthy in all ways, and try to reduce my risk with other lifestyle factors.

By: Personal Finance Spotlight

Personal Finance Spotlight — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:19:59 +0000

Genetic testing will prove to be ever increasingly more useful as time progresses. The ability to determine your odds of developing certain diseases and conditions gives you a great heads up on changing your lifestyle to help prevent or fight them. Nowadays, you can get the most basic tests done for about $1,000.00 although it’s not cheap it’s still 10x less than it was a few years ago. The downside of course is people making intelligent decisions based on the results, living longer and putting the last nail in the coffin of social security.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:18:37 +0000

I agree that right now its not worth the cost for the information you get. If the cost, accuracy and privacy are right then I’d consider it. Persionally I think genetic testing has good potential to look for potential for genetic predisposition to certain diseases.

Jim @Freeby50

By: fivecentnickel.com

fivecentnickel.com — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:45:09 +0000

Re: Differences amongst racial groups… It’s true that the genetic differences between races are very, very subtle. That does not, however, mean that they’re statistically undetectable if you’re willing to throw enough data at the issue. These genetic tests produce so much data that you can detect very minor differences.

By: Jason H

Jason H — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:51:18 +0000

There is certainly an allure to genetic testing. My grandfather died of Lymphoma and my father now has incurable Chronic Lymphatic Lymphoma, which docters believe is hereditary. So I have often considered a genetic test to see if I am indeed going to be heading down the incurable cancer road as I get older and therefore begin saving toward a Chemo-fund.

Stacey, you are not completely correct. While genes in some cases do suggest dispositions, there are other genes which do create the future outcome and those are the genes that these tests should be focused on.

By: James@capitalcouplesfinance.com

James@capitalcouplesfinance.com — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:22:58 +0000

I don’t think it necessarily leads to a Gattaca world. There are other reasons to get genetically tested. I’m no genetics expert, but I have taken classes and it’s possible for two parents to carry recessive characteristics (they don’t manifest in the parents individually) that when combined would produce a fatal disease or debilitating illness. I can see why parents might want to find out before they begin having children if their kids are going to be faced with severe medical problems. Perhaps they’d want to adopt children instead.

That being said, as a first time parent-to-be, I don’t want to be genetically tested. Once you’re pregnant, it seems like a waste of time, unless you plan on aborting the child if you find something that you don’t like. Obviously, as a society we don’t (I hope!) want to head down that tragic road.

By: Stacey

Stacey — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:52:16 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. Once we start evaluating people through their genetic code, a world similar to Gattaca isn’t too far behind – a world where designer babies are the norm, and our value is determined by the strength of our DNA.

As the movie suggested, even future DNA analysis will not be fool-proof. Wasn’t the main character supposed to die of heart failure early in life? They determined this when he was an infant by scanning his genes. But genes only suggest dispositions, not future outcomes.