[Oncogenetics: how far, and what for?].

Oncogenetics is a new discipline expanding very rapidly and depending on advances in understanding genes associated with inherited susceptibility to common adult malignancies. This discipline is still between a research field and a clinical service. This is very specific regarding medical management and services related to cancer genetic testing, directions for use genetic testing. It is the emergence of a so-called "predictive" medicine and in general of problems surrounding genetic testing for adult-onset disorders susceptibility. In the past years significant and unprecedented media fanfare informed both medical professionals and the general public. The opinions have moved from enthusiasm to skepticism but now a fair approach should be obtained. A good example of current controversies is breast cancer susceptibility. At the present time the oncogenetics debate "yes ... but on condition that ..." replace the previous one "in favour or against". The remained relevant topics are "how far" and "what for". Specific guidelines are already published or are on-going development. All of them point out a critical need for assessment (long-term outcome studies, multidisciplinary team approach for medical management, patient oriented research to analyse the psychological and social impact of genetic testing).