Think Twice (Or Three Times) Before You Buy

With an ever growing number of genetic tests being marketed directly to consumers — check out this story in the Wall Street Journal that reports on Myriad Genetics’ breast-cancer-gene test seeing a 55% increase in sales after an $8 million advertising blitz — people are going to have to be even more discriminating. Should they be spending money, and more importantly, concern, taking tests that may or may not be useful, asks this article in Wired. People are advised to check in with a genetic counselor before having the test to weigh the pros and cons. Some experts still aren't hopeful, though. "Some of these tests are complete rubbish," says Howard McLeod, a personalized medicine specialist. "The big challenge for a consumer is figuring out which data is real or not without having to go to medical school."