About those home genetic testing kits

A genetic testing product includes a "spit kit."

They're here, and here to stay apparently, but they're not the be all and end all. An article at IndyStar.com explains.

Looking into one's genome can be serious business, and experts say people would be better off doing so under the guidance of a genetic counselor.

The tests look not at genes per se, but at changes that show up across the genome in people with certain conditions, said Stephanie Cohen, a genetic counselor with St. Vincent Cancer Genetics Risk Assessment Program. A group of people with these changes may be more likely to display that characteristic, but an individual will not necessarily do so.

Results can be nebulous. For instance, some test for a common mutation that causes cystic fibrosis, Quaid said. More than 1,000 other mutations can also cause this potentially fatal disease. So this result might provide a false sense of security.

The accuracy of such tests has also been called into question. The U.S. Government Accountability Office did an investigation, sending the same individual's sample to three different companies. Each company reported different results.

Nor do the tests take into account non-genetic features of the person being tested, said Elizabeth Kearney, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.That's why genetic counselors advocate that people seek advice from them rather than a test tube. In many instances, genetic counselors do not even run tests but glean risk by taking a detailed family history.

Do it yourself? Protect yourself.