PERSPECTIVES
Challenges in the genetic testing of children for familial cancers
1 Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
2 Genetic Health Services Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
3 Departments of Medicine and Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Correspondence to:
Professor Angus Clarke, Institute of Medical Genetics, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, Wales, UK; clarkeaj@cardiff.ac.uk
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
The genetic testing of children is a topic that has generated much disagreement and debate. When a child has an illness that may be genetic in origin, and genetic testing is a straightforward way of achieving a diagnosis, then genetic testing is clearly appropriate. When the child is healthy but at risk of the family’s inherited disorder, however, the situation may be very different. In cases where predictive genetic information is of clear practical value in decision making about future medical intervention, then the question comes down to a matter of timing: when, all things considered, will it be most helpful to determine the child’s genetic constitution? Internationally, guidelines encourage decisions about testing be left to the child once s/he is older if no medical intervention is available during childhood and adolescence for those at risk of disease.1 Nonetheless, in clinical practice, counselling parents who are seeking predictive genetic testing
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This article has been cited by other articles:
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Haga, S. B., Terry, S. F.
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48: 703-708
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