NOVA | Cracking Your Genetic Code

PhillieG

This was pretty interesting and rather frightening at the same time. There are states that already allow genetic testing to be used to deny companies from hiring or insuring people based on genetics. The GOOD side is that they can customize treatments for people with rare diseases and also with various cancers. It's still in it's infancy but the potential is there for some major breakthroughs.
There obviously are discussions about the pros and cons of the testing, one of the pros are that if you know there is a propensity of getting colon cancer, you could begin colonoscopies at an earlier age. The had an example of a man who had melanoma. As often is the case, there were no signs until he developed neck pain. Testing confirmed the DX and he was given 9 months. By using the genetic testing they could see what the problem was (replication of certain parts of the code in his DNA) and develop a treatment. In a matter of a few weeks the cancer was gone. He was clear for about a year but then he started to develop tumors again but now they are looking at how the cancer mutated and have come up with plan B for him. They're still working on it.

Some of the cons are what I mentioned above about having the information being used against you for insurance and jobs along with people finding out that maybe they can develop a certain condition then living a reckless lifestyle since they believe they will die of Condition X anyway. Also, if a family member gets genetic testing and finds out they have a higher risk of developing a genetic condition, other family members may not want to know that they are at risk. That sounds like when someone here is DX with colon cancer and their siblings refuse to get a colonoscopy. I could never figure that one out. I guess they've already look around while their heads are up their arse.... (excuse me but I will never understand that some people can be in that much denial).

They dealt with some disorders other than cancer but this is (yet) another example of advances in medicine that are helping people with medical conditions including cancer.

NOVA | Cracking Your Genetic Code
It's less than an hour long and not too hard to follow.

This ties in with Son of Hals post on The pros and cons of genetic testing

coloCan

Check out whats called the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia
being developed (medicalnewstoday.com/articles/243551.php)which sounds promising

As for Lynch Syndrome,while only 3-5% of CRC is a result of this, mutations in specific genes (MSH2,MLH1,MSH6 and now PMS2) give one an 80% risk for CRC .....

And while we're talking of proteins:Lrig1 is now being cited

pete43lost_at_sea

thanks phil, i was not permitted to view it
anyone know of tricks to get around this.
hugs,
pete

PhillieG

pete43lost_at_sea said:

thanks phil, i was not permitted to view it
anyone know of tricks to get around this.
hugs,
pete

Move to the USA?
It's part of the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) we have "up-over". Do you have that down-under Pete?
Maybe you can view it off this site HERE
-p

pete43lost_at_sea

PhillieG said:

Move to the USA?
It's part of the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) we have "up-over". Do you have that down-under Pete?
Maybe you can view it off this site HERE
-p

i love the usa
you are the man, watching it now. well the adds worked, but then it stopped.
i will have to wait until the next genetics conference.

thanks anyway.
hugs,
pete

LAF53

Nova
I watched the show and it was very interesting.
Lydia

coloCan

LAF53 said:

Nova
I watched the show and it was very interesting.
Lydia

and here's another new site,if you're so inclined to partake:
ecancer.org/news/2658

gets you"Sanger Institute (anyone familiar with this?)launches new genomic marker cancer database" with link to new site....Old one had,among other things, a listing of about 500 genes thought to cause cancer.....