NOVA | Cracking Your Genetic Code

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