Codori A M
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 1997 Mar;26(1):19-39. doi: 10.1016/s0889-8553(05)70281-8.
Although the availability of genetic tests seems like an unequivocally favorable turn of events, they are, in fact, not without controversy. At the center of the controversy is a question regarding the risks and benefits of genetic testing. Many geneticists, ethicists, psychologists, and persons at risk for cancer are concerned about the potentially adverse psychological effects of genetic testing on tested persons and their families. In addition, the screening and interventions that are useful in the general population remain to be shown effective in those with high genetic cancer risk. Consequently, there have been calls for caution in moving genetic testing out of research laboratories and into commercial laboratories until their impact and the effectiveness of cancer prevention strategies can be studied. This article examines the arguments and data for and against this caution, citing examples related to hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer and drawing upon literature on testing for other genetic diseases.
尽管基因检测的出现似乎是事件发展中明确有利的转变，但实际上它并非毫无争议。争议的核心是一个关于基因检测风险与益处的问题。许多遗传学家、伦理学家、心理学家以及癌症高危人群担心基因检测对受检者及其家人可能产生的不良心理影响。此外，对普通人群有用的筛查和干预措施，在那些具有高遗传性癌症风险的人群中是否有效仍有待证明。因此，有人呼吁在将基因检测从研究实验室推广到商业实验室之前要谨慎行事，直到能够研究其影响以及癌症预防策略的有效性。本文探讨了支持和反对这种谨慎态度的论据与数据，引用了与遗传性非息肉病性结直肠癌相关的例子，并借鉴了关于其他遗传疾病检测的文献。
