The expansion of genetic testing, though a success of modern medicine, nevertheless poses complex ethical questions for medical professionals. The ubiquity of genetic information has well outpaced scientific clarity about the implications, which means that a great deal of uncertainty typically surrounds these tests. Clinicians and patients confront seemingly worrisome omens of possible ailments, with little clarity about the actual odds of getting them or the chance of preventing them.
“It’s not gene equals disease,” Valerie Reyna, a professor and neuroscience researcher at Cornell University, explained to me. Although a specific gene may elevate the risk for a particular ailment, she noted that plenty of people will have the genetic mutation and not get sick, whereas others will get sick without the genetic mutation….
Some patients are able to use the results of genetic tests to proactively safeguard their health, perhaps by getting regularly screened for early signs of trouble or removing organs before cancer can grow, as in the case of a prophylactic mastectomy to prevent breast cancer. For others, evidence of an alarming mutation can trigger psychological distress, even despair.
