Carrier/Predictive Genetic Testing

Programs that test an asymptomatic individual's blood and tissue to determine the presence of a particular gene or chromosome variation which may lead to the birth of a child with a particular disease or disability; or which determine the presence of specific genes or chromosome variations which predispose the person to a particular disease or disability later in life. Carrier testing is done for a number of conditions including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia (Cooley's anemia), Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, Huntington's disease and neurofibromatosis. Predictive genetic testing is available for a number of diseases including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, melanoma and thyroid cancer.