English
Thanks to genetic testing, doctors can now read information contained in the DNA of every human being. DNA determines not only about how we look, but can also affect personality traits, likes and dislikes, abilities and predispositions to certain diseases. In order to better plan prevention and lifestyle choices to fit individual needs, more and more people undergo genetic tests.
The word “predisposition” occurs frequently in the context of DNA testing. This concerns the so-called genetic disorders and means that we can identify the risk of occurrence of a disease before it actually occurs.
Most often we learn about the disease at the onset of its symptoms. In the case of genetic testing it is just the opposite – they can provide a window into the future. Scientific development in the fields of molecular biology and human genetics leads to a possibility of identification of the causes of diseases recorded in the DNA. Those entries already exist, and we have only to read them and evaluate patient’s risk factors. This is the main purpose of genetic testing – says Dr. Sebastian Pukszta of the INVICTA Genetic Laboratory.
Genetic predispositions are inherited in the family. Each of us is someone else’s descendant, therefore, information about health problems of one’s relatives may be a reason to suspect that the disease can affect that person in the future.
An incident of certain diseases within person’s extended family puts the patient at an increased risk. This is the case with, for example, breast cancer before 50 years of age or ovarian cancer at any age. People who know about occurrences of such diseases in their extended family should definitely consider performing genetic testing – emphasized Dr. Pukszta.
