Patients Should Get DNA Information, Report Recommends

Fourteen genetics experts, with the backing of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), are proposing a radical shift in how and what patients learn about what's in their DNA. They argue that anyone whose genome is sequenced for any medical reason should automatically learn whether 57 of their genes put them at risk of certain cancers, potentially fatal heart conditions, and other serious health problems. The information would be provided whether patients want it—and often when they're seeking care from a doctor for something else entirely—because, the experts say, knowing the makeup of this DNA could save an individual's life. The recommendations apply to sequencing children's DNA as well, even if there's no preventive care available until adulthood. The college's guidelines on a range of issues are usually written by influential geneticists and physicians and carry significant weight, although they are not binding. Today's report includes the first recommendations ever given to labs and doctors about how to handle unexpected findings when the genome or its protein-coding "exome" is sequenced.

The ACMG recommendations, released this morning...