GPs at Harrow Health Care Centre have said recent revelations about home genetics testing have highlighted the need to seek medical assistance if patients have concerns about genetic conditions or life changing diseases.
The team, based at the Clementine Churchill Hospital in London, believe the money spent on the costly home genetics tests could be better spent on seeking private medical help if people require a more urgent diagnosis.
The British Society for Genetic Medicine raised concerns about the home testing kits earlier this week after it was revealed that a growing number of patients were told that they could have mutations linked to cancer or other serious conditions by the companies that supply the kits.
In fact, in at one widely reported case a woman had a preventive breast-removal surgery cancelled at the last minute after a separate NHS laboratory test revealed the home testing kit to be incorrect.
Dr Jane Woyka, Principal GP at Harrow Health Care Centre, said: “The evidence from the British Society for Genetic Medicine and the case studies presented are very worrying.
“Being given the news that you are potentially at significant risk of developing breast cancer or ovarian cancer due to a BRCA mutation can be devastating, which is why testing needs to be regulated and conducted by a professional to ensure the best course of action can be followed.”
Carrying a gene for a particular condition does not mean that you will develop the disease, only that you are significantly more at risk if you do carry it.
I would not recommend undertaking genetic screening of this sort unless you have thought very carefully about whether you want to know that you might be at risk for certain diseases, as knowing that you are at high risk for something for example Huntingdon’s , or motor neurone disease is something you might really wish you did not know. It will also have implications for family members with similar genetic makeup .
Dr Woyka said that other ways of looking for cancer risk may be more relevant in many cancers. Genetic testing has a role but is only part of the picture.
“People have a perception that private healthcare is prohibitively expensive, which means for some people they may feel it may make more sense to do an ‘at home’ test,” she said.
“However, those people who are genuinely concerned about their health, particularly in relation to potentially life-limiting conditions such as cancer, should seek out a professional diagnosis or check-up from a doctor rather than relying on home testing.”
