Do Your Genes Place You at High Risk for COVID-19?

Do Your Genes Place You at High Risk for COVID-19?

In the last six months, the world has learned that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, more commonly known as COVID-19, is contagious, can be deadly, and has become a global pandemic. As of today, more than 8.2 million people have tested positive, and more than 445,000 have died...

read more
Missed Mutations Highlight Somatic, Germline Test Difference

Missed Mutations Highlight Somatic, Germline Test Difference

A patient with Cowden syndrome developed a neuroendocrine tumor. Cowden syndrome is a hereditary condition that causes non-cancerous tumor-like growths in the skin and mucous membranes. It can also increase the risk for certain cancers, such as melanoma, breast,...

read more
Patient with BRCA1 VUS Has Prophylactic Surgery

Patient with BRCA1 VUS Has Prophylactic Surgery

A woman in her 40s visited a general surgeon for non-cancer related reasons and was assessed for her hereditary risk for cancer. The patient did not have a personal history of cancer, but her mother, who is in her 60s, had recently been diagnosed with...

read more
Confusion Over Colon Cancer Syndromes Leads to Wrong Testing

Confusion Over Colon Cancer Syndromes Leads to Wrong Testing

During a visit with a new primary care physician, a 45-year-old man told his doctor that he had a family history of cancer and Lynch syndrome, a hereditary condition that increases the risk for colon, uterine, and other cancers. He also recounted that he had tested...

read more
Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall: The Epigenetics of Aging

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall: The Epigenetics of Aging

A few months ago, I received an email from a company called Chronomics that tests for epigenetic changes in your DNA. I'm still a bit scarred from my personal direct-to-consumer testing experience, so I was initially reluctant to explore yet another genetic test. But...

read more