Freak yourself out with new at-home genetic testing kit

[Avatard]

Attention hypochondriacs! If you are feeling the need to seriously freak yourself out, look no further than your local Walgreens store! Yup, starting Friday you can purchase an at-home test kit that allows people who, well, worry about these things (obsessively) to see if their DNA makes them more likely to develop one (or more!) of dozens of different health conditions. Breast cancer? Check. Heart disease? Check! Alzheimer's disease? Can do! Just swab your cheek, pop it in the mail and within a week or so, your life will be completely ruined!

http://www.thisisbrandx.com/2010/05/freak-yourself-out-with-new-at-home-genetic-testing-kit.html

[pauldun170]

Don't think they have that here.
They're not even allowed to sell those home paternity kits here.

[smileyman]

Wild! Wonder what the lab liabilty insurance will do after someone offs himself thinking he is genetically sentenced to some kind of cancer?

[Rangerscott]

Tommy is gonna love this shit.

"I need cancer treatment right now!"

Tommy -- "Why do you need cancer treatment? You don't have cancer."

"Yes I do fuck head. This kit says I'm gonna develop cancer. I need to start treatment right NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! !!!!"

[goof2]

I remember a story a while back (maybe 10 years or more) on one of the Dateline/60 minutes programs after doctors started offering genetic screening to their patients. One of the women interviewed had a family history of breast cancer and the genetic testing showed a propensity for her to develop it. With no cancer present in her she decided to have a preemptive double mastectomy.

[Particle Man]

wow... just wow...

[tommymac]

I remember a story a while back (maybe 10 years or more) on one of the Dateline/60 minutes programs after doctors started offering genetic screening to their patients. One of the women interviewed had a family history of breast cancer and the genetic testing showed a propensity for her to develop it. With no cancer present in her she decided to have a preemptive double mastectomy.

I think that has become more common in women with a strong family history and/or risk factors for breast cancer.

[anthonyk]

I think that has become more common in women with a strong family history and/or risk factors for breast cancer.

Yup, my family went through genetic testing for breast/ovarian cancer about 5 years ago, and that was one of the options they talked about for women who tested positive for that particular gene. Removing ovaries after having kids was also talked about.

[HokieDNA01]

Looks like the release is delayed.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/12/genetic.testing.walgreens/index.html?hpt=T2

[the chi]

I think Amway has been doing this for a few years now. Several different types of tests from what I understand.

[Rangerscott]

I wanna say you could always go into a clinic and piss in a cup to be sent off.