Experts Warn About New At-Home DNA Tests
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DNA testing will soon move from the lab into your home.
If you've ever worried about hereditary disease, Insight Personal Genetic Testing Kits could be for you.
The over-the counter kits are coming to 6,000 Walgreens nationwide Friday.
They're simple enough to use. Users put some of their saliva in a tube, ship it and wait. The company tests the DNA to see if that person is prone to diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Derek Downs, of Branford, likes the idea.
"You don’t have to go to a doctor's office, make an appointment, do a whole bunch of other stuff. Just simple, easy. You send it right back to the place. Sounds good to me," he said.
But expert Ellen Matloff, director of Cancer Genetic Counseling at Yale, says to be careful.
"Genetic testing, unfortunately, is not like a pregnancy test where you get a 'yes' or a 'no.' It’s a complicated test," she said. "There are many different genes and genetic changes we can look for and the interpretation is extremely complicated."
Walgreens will sell the tests for about $30 each. Matloff says it's a small price to pay, considering the information it claims to provide is so invaluable. She says her concern is not only what the test results will include but also what they'll leave out.
"I’m concerned that people are going to go and buy this kit because they’re worried because of a personal or family history and that they might get false reassurance if this test comes back negative, or they may be alarmed if this test comes back positive and I’m just not convinced that it will be accurate," Matloff said.
Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 6:31 PM EST
