What Actually Is Precision Medicine?

What Actually Is Precision Medicine?

In his recent State of the Union Address, President Obama discussed his ‘Precision Medicine Initiative’, for which $215 million is being proposed for the 2016 Budget. In an era in which we’ve mostly heard about cutbacks in NIH funding, this is a big deal.For many...

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Is This Why You Aren’t Vaccinating Your Teenager for HPV?

Is This Why You Aren’t Vaccinating Your Teenager for HPV?

A recent study (MMWR. 2013; 62:591-5)) examined why parents are not vaccinating their teenage girls for the HPV virus. Do any of these reasons resonate with you?1.  It’s not needed or necessary.Perhaps because your daughter or son is young and there is no way, no...

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Surprising Factors that Place You at Higher Risk for HPV

Surprising Factors that Place You at Higher Risk for HPV

Updated 4/1/19 The human papilloma virus (HPV) is a common sexually-transmitted virus that increases the risk of genital warts and several cancers, including those of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, mouth, and throat. HPV can be spread by skin-to-skin contact...

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The Case For Genetic Privacy

The Case For Genetic Privacy

Last week in Genetic Privacy Part 1, we discussed the potential harm done when a patient chooses not to share her data with other family members. Such arguments, and the argument that widely sharing genetic data would advance scientific research, have made some...

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The Case Against Genetic Privacy

The Case Against Genetic Privacy

The debate about who should have access to genetic test results has been argued for decades. There are many factors to consider, including: individual rights, the rights of family members, medical liability, insurance issues, and the betterment of scientific research....

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The Pros and Cons of Salpingectomy for BRCA Carriers

The Pros and Cons of Salpingectomy for BRCA Carriers

It is well-known that women who carry a mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at high risk to develop breast cancer (50-85% lifetime risk) and ovarian cancer (15-60% lifetime risk). Because the screening options for ovarian cancer (transvaginal ultrasound, the blood test...

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The Pros and Cons of Salpingectomy for BRCA Carriers

Should Life Insurers Have Access To Genetic Test Results

This week JAMA published a viewpoint on whether life insurers should have access to genetic test results and, understandably, it unearthed some long-standing fears about genetic discrimination. We do have protection from some forms of such discrimination under the...

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