Genetic Testing Argumentative Essay

This examination compiled the following information: Grandmother “C” has BRCA1 trait resulting in double mastectomy at age 35, prior to diagnosis Grandmother “C” only medical condition was hypertension,. Mother “M” information was obtained. Mother "M" provided the

Women who are at the greatest risk are over the age over the age of fifty years of age. Patients with a family history of cancer, especially in their first degree relatives, may have inherited mutations of BRCA1 and/or BRCA2. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genetic mutations that put patients are risk for cancer. Patients that have a history of breast cancer are five times more likely of developing cancer in the opposite breast. Patients with dense breast are at risk for developing breast cancer due to the fact dense breast contains more glandular and connective tissue. Patients who are exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation to the thorax, early menarche, tobacco use, nulliparity, late menopause, and first child birth after thirty years of age put the patient at risk for breast cancer (Ignatavicius, 2013, p.

In chapter four of her book Genetic Dilemmas, Dena Davis asserts that it is unethical for parents to subject their children to genetic testing for the markers of adult-onset genetic diseases because it places an unfair constraint on a child’s right to an open future. It both removes the child’s ability to choose whether to be tested as an adult and has the potential to negatively alter the overall trajectory of their lives. While the current consensus amongst medical professionals is that such testing should be prohibited (Davis, _____), many concerned parents correctly point out that discouraging such testing creates a conflict of interests between the “beneficence model of patient care and the rights of parents to their own autonomy”

Conley (2015) states, “In the not-so-distant future, BRAC1 may predict mastectomies, not breast cancer” (p. 658). This is an interesting notion since the test predicts proteins that specifically correlate to breast and ovarian cancer. The notion that Conley is trying to make is that as the test becomes more affordable and more women are tested for it, consequently more women will take preventative measures, such as mastectomies. Tests that predict something in particular become adapted into the social sphere.

BRCA 1 can help predict cancer, as it is a mutation in the cell layers. It is a human tumor suppressor gene, which is found in every human. It acts as a protector against furthering steps of cancer, and if it mutates or changes, it will lead to cancer. People can have their BRCA genes tested, and see if they have the precursor to cancer. According to a study done by the National Cancer Institute, if you have an abnormal BRCA1 gene, there is a 60% chance of it evolving to cancer over that person’s lifetime. Restating the definition of Sociological Imagination, it means the ability to connect basic aspects to more impersonal historic forces. Using your sociological imagination, history has shown that most people who develop breast

Embryonic screening allows for the elimination of inherited diseases before birth or a treatment plan before birth. In breast cancer patients, genetic testing allows the physician to know if chemotherapy is necessary, which would expand treatment options. Genetic testing could eliminate years of experimental testing and medication use used to diagnose a new disease. Overall, genetic testing is in alignment with the core medical philosophy that early prevention leads to early treatment, which leads to an overall better outcome for the patient.

A lot of controversial issues present themselves in psychology. Two topics that I will be discussing in this essay are the controversy over genetic testing and what things would be like without genetic testing. I will be describing what genetic testing is, and how it can affect an individual’s family life. I will be discussing the benefits of genetic counseling, as well as the positives without genetic counseling, and how this issue is debated in a psychological view.

My mother, Bonita, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 45. She first discovered the lump herself and proceeded to take it to a professional to get it checked out. There is no evidence in her immediate family to say that this is hereditary, but a combination of a few factors increased her risk of getting breast cancer. My mother was overweight, has had an early menstruation (before age 12), lived a sedentary lifestyle, and at the time she didn’t have a well-balanced diet. Along with those factors, her doctors pointed out that her risk could have been increased by her use of an oral contraceptive.

This study was subject to a series of limitations. First, BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were not accounted for in this cohort population as these mutations can influence

As you can see genetic testing is very important and can affect a child's and parents lives for the better and the worst. Children all over the world have serious genetic diseases that affect their life on a daily. Some of these diseases are Achondroplasia, Down syndrome, and Turner's syndrome. Many believe genetic testing is a good way to test for these genetic conditions before the child is even born, but others think that it can harm the baby very badly and even cause a miscarriage, so they choose not to do this kind of testing. Knowing about the most serious genetic diseases is very important for expecting parents to be informed as well as being

As of right now, the BRCA1 gene mutation is a genetic marker that predicts certain types of cancer. The BRCA gene mutation has been very helpful to many people in the previous years determine whether or not they are a candidate for certain types of cancers, and will most likely continue to be helpful for those people until an even better solution is found. Before the BRCA gene mutation was linked to cancer, there was probably another determining factor used to test for cancer, but not as well as the BRCA1 gene mutation. As time goes on, and science and technology continues to innovate, I'm sure that the BRCA gene mutation will be pushed to the side while the newest and greatest prediction of these types of cancers takes charge. On another note,

The BRCA genes are tumor suppressor genes. When a BRCA gene is damaged in either location, it can lead to increased chances of cancer, particularly breast or ovarian cancer in women. BRCA stands for breast cancer susceptibility gene, both the BRCA1 and BRCA2 are suppose to protect you from getting cancer, so when you have changes or mutations on either one or both of your BRCA genes, thats when the cells are more likely start dividing and change rapidly which than in return can lead to cancer. Genetic testing can be obtained by women to learn if their family history of breast cancer is due to an inherited gene mutation, studies show that the majority of the women who get breast cancer do not have an inherited gene mutation. The costs pertaining

For instance, from a BRCA gene test, high risk patients can learn early whether he/she carries an inherited BRCA gene mutation and receive an estimate of the personal risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Genetic counseling is an important part of the BRCA gene test process (Petrucelli, Daly, & Feldman, 2013).

The second issue presented is ‘biological’. This is based on the premise that there are ‘strong’ mutations and ‘weak’ mutations associated with differing degrees of risks and maybe different cancers. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation may not test positive the initial genetic screening due to level of significance.2 Also, in 1995, Ponder strongly suspected that breast cancer may have 4 or more genetic indicators in addition to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.12 In other words, If BRAC1 and 2 test did not test positive, then another defective gene may be responsible for breast cancer for the development of cancer2. Further investigation reported by the Journal of Nature Genetics in Figure 1, concluded that “familial breast cancer (left) constitutes only 5-10% of total breast cancer (right). The genes known to be involved in familial breast cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2) account for only 20% of familial

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 are both tumor suppressor genes. When these genes are mutated they can no longer repair DNA, which is their purpose and why they are so important. There are certain mutations in these genes that are inherited that not only increase the risk of breast cancer, but ovarian cancer as well. According to the National Cancer Institute in the article, “BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing,” BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are responsible for about twenty to twenty-five percent of hereditary breast cancer and five to ten percent of all breast cancers.