Media Advisory: Lack Of Rules For Genetic Testing Akin To Wild, Wild West, According To Stanford Podcast

Main Category: Genetics
Also Included In: Breast Cancer;  Alzheimer's / Dementia
Article Date: 27 Jul 2009 - 17:00 PDT

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With just $399 and a bit of saliva in a cup, consumers can learn about their genetic risk for diseases from breast cancer to Alzheimer's. Now, thanks to social networking sites set up by personal genomics companies, they can also share that information with family, friends and even strangers on the Internet.

Bonding over similar genetic background sounds relatively harmless. But according to Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, PhD, a bioethicist from the Stanford University School of Medicine, sharing such information online raises a wide range of ethical questions.

In the latest podcast in the "1:2:1" series from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Office of Communication and Public Affairs, Lee says that current laws and regulations are inadequate. She says that the lack of oversight of genetics is akin to the wild, wild West.

The interview can be heard at http://med.stanford.edu/121/2009/lee.html

Source
Stanford University School of Medicine

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