Last week we talked about the importance of Autonomy
and informed consent when it comes to genetic testing for the BRCA 1 &2.
This weeks topic will go hand in hand with this idea of informed consent, and
will talk about the pros/benefits of genetic testing as well as the
cons/risks
It is important for anyone who has a family history of
breast and ovarian cancer to understand the pros and cons of genetic testing
Cons
With genetic testing, depending on the results, there
could be a lot of harmful risks. The first would be that the testing could
cause a lot of mental and emotional distress. A lot of patients who get the
genetic testing done may undergo a lot of stress because it causes them to
think about the fact they may be prone to breast cancer. There is also the possibility of having to
get a lot invasive surgery. Women who test positively with for the mutations in
the Brca 1 and 2 mutations then have to make the decision whether or not they
should have a mastectomy (removal of the breasts)
That all seems a little depressing, but there are also
many benefits in getting genetic testing done.
Pros
The first being the simple, peace of mind. If you have
a family history of breast cancer, getting the genetic testing done would give
you the peace of minding knowing whether or not you are predisposed to the
cancer. Not having the security of knowing whether or not you are predisposed
to the cancer will eliminate a lot of the anxiety of not knowing. You also have
the luxury of making the decision of taking the preventative measures to stop
the development of the cancer.
In conclusion…
Whether or not a test result if positive or negative,
understanding the risks and benefits of having the genetic testing done, is
fundamental to making the right decisions for you and your health. Getting counseling
done, and talking to your doctors, family and friends, will help you come to
right the decision, whatever the outcome is.
Merna, I notice how careful you’ve been in your stance towards genetic testing for breast cancer, and I really appreciate your neutral tonality throughout your blog, especially with this one. The most ethical way we can educate the general public about biomedical sciences is to provide both sides of the story, and so far you’ve done a great job at it. There are a lot of not-so-credible sources out there that try to sway one’s opinion on a certain topic, but I find sources that provide competing views, like your blog, to be more informative and insightful, and I believe the general public will see this distinction as well. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI agree with both your pros and cons of your blog. They both hold very true statements. On one hand you can become depressed about knowing that you will get cancer. I mean what if I got a genetic testing done tomorrow and they told me I was going to get breast cancer? Its like the doctors are telling me that I'm going to die a lot sooner than expected. But on the other hand by getting this test done, you know what to expect and you have the support of doctors that are keeping an eye on you and that makes people feel safe. Good job of making that clear! =)
ReplyDeleteI agree with both your pros and cons but I feel like the pros are much more worth it than the cons. I feel like being able to know if you are predisposed to cancer is much better then not knowing a thing. That will cause more stress than anything. Knowing a head of time can be beneficial because there will be support and counseling, also some cancer can be treated if found a head of time. Thanks for the blog!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting because you are bringing new points into the pros and cons that I never thought about, well done. However, I am always in favor in opening both possibilities (getting tested or not) to the patient since the decision returns to them. If the patient is going to live in anxiety that they might develop breast cancer, getting tested will calm them. Even though I am a strong supporter that testing must be done to all patients (with or without family history of cancer) because it is safer and easier to tackle cancer in the early stages than later. Good job in projecting new ideas, keep it up!
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