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The breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 ar two of the famous sequences of DNA in the world. In the 90s, their discovery upended cancer research, kicking off a frenzy to find other genes linked to cancer. That in turn kicked off another frenzy: of companies selling kits that test for ever-more newly discovered cancer genes. Today, the cancer genetics startup Color Genomics is announcing that it will expand its test for breast and ovarian cancer genes to include a total of 30, including genes related to pancreatic, stomach, colon, and prostate cancer.
Color stands out among the field because of its price: $249. That’s cheap enough to leapfrog insurance companies, the traditional gatekeepers of genetic tests. Insurance typically only covers genetic tests for cancer—which can run to over a thousand dollars among Color’s competitors—if a patient has risk factors like family history of cancer at a young age. Color also helpfully refers would-be customers to doctors to order the test. “Historically the test has been very expensive, and the process to get testing meant jumping through lots...
