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Genetic Testing Fumbles, Revealing ‘Dark Side’ of Precision Medicine
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Genetic Testing Fumbles, Revealing ‘Dark Side’ of Precision Medicine

Sharon Begley
STAT, 2016
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Statnews.com senior writer Sharon Begley provides an accessible, human story of what happens when precision medicine goes wrong. She busts the myth that genetic code has clearly defined features that are either disease-causing or safe and normal. Researchers interpreting the data often use outdated databases, and false diagnoses abound. Begley emphasizes that doctors and their patients shouldn’t defer to genetic test results. If the symptoms don’t support the diagnosis, they should seek a second opinion. getAbstract recommends Begley’s report to anyone curious about genetic testing.

Take-Aways

  • Precision medicine, in which doctors tailor treatment according to the patient’s genetic code, is becoming more popular.
  • Most genetic variations are harmless. Researchers use databases and algorithms to determine whether the genetic anomalies they detect are disease-causing.
  • Different databases contain conflicting information. Many are out-of-date or contain only data from a limited ethnic population.

About the Author

Sharon Begley is an author and senior science writer for Statnews.com. She has also worked as a science and health correspondent at Reuters and as a science columnist and editor at The Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.  

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