In certain cases, genetic testing can identify mutant alleles that greatly increase a person's chance of developing a disease such as breast cancer or colon cancer. Between 50 and 70% of people with these particular mutations will develop cancer, but the rest will not. Imagine you are either a 30-year-old woman with a family history of breast cancer or a 30-year-old man with a family history of colon cancer (choose one). Each person can undergo genetic testing to identify a mutation that greatly increases susceptibility to the disease. Putting yourself in the place of the person you have chosen, provide answers to the following questions.
If you have a spouse or partner, are you obligated to tell that person the result of the genetic test? Why or why not?
1. Introduction to Genetics
Modern Genetics