Genetic screening for breast cancer and ovarian cancer is a very costly yet important test for all middle aged women. Due to the expensive cost, most women are neglected of a life saving screening. Thanks to a new Silicon Valley start up, a cheaper yet efficient testing for breast and ovarian cancer has emerged. This new screening only requires a sample of saliva to test for mutations in high risks genes and it only costs a fraction of what a normal screening would cost. Although these lower prices will allow more women to take the screening, they can also result in more women being told that they have mutations that cannot be classified as either dangerous or benign. A normal screening may be more expensive but it would provide a complete analysis of all mutations found in order to provide a more definitive answer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/business/more-accurate-affordable-tests-for-detecting-breast-cancer-genes.html?_r=0
This article was very interesting to me. I know a lot of people who do not have the means of taking a breast cancer screening and that this new saliva test would definitely be a good way to screen people. I do agree with the article noting that this may lead to false positives due to the automated nature of the saliva test. This is a great first step in detecting risk probability of certain cancers in women, but it is missing certain elements such as genetic counseling and and extensive testing of the mutations in the risk genes.
This new detection method seems like a good thing for everyone involved. Although the cheap test may be able to detect a mutation without being to say definitively if it is cancer, those who find that they have a mutation can now know that they need further testing. This article was short and to the point, delivering the information in a clear and concise way.
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