Will 23andMe spur a run on mastectomies? Probably not.

What are the FDA’s bureaucrats so worried about? Basically that purchasers of 23andMe’s personal genome services will do something dangerously stupid in reaction to the information that the tests provide. But will they?

Now let’s assume that a 23andMe customer tests positive for one of the BRCA mutations, what are they likely to do next? On the strength of their letter, FDA bureaucrats seem to believe that women with a positive test will immediately go look for surgeons to remove their breasts; start gobbling down tamoxifen pills to ward off cancer; or get more mammograms. Of course, these scenarios are ridiculous. What a customer would do is consult with her physician and most likely get another more comprehensive genetic test.

Read the full, original story here: Let My Genes Go! And Leave 23andMe Alone.

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