San Diego Union Tribune

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UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL

Safeguards, please

House must tackle genetic privacy, bias

November 5, 2005

With more than 1,000 tests now available to help individuals determine if they have a genetic predisposition to a wide variety of diseases, preventive medicine has entered a new era. Some tests are highly accurate indicators of susceptibility; some offer only vague guidance as to the risk of contracting a particular ailment. This varying level of predictive value leads some to wonder whether it's wise to tell an otherwise-healthy person that he has a tiny chance of developing a rare but fatal disease, leading to a lifetime of stress over a small risk.

Nevertheless, the vast potential of genetic testing is obvious. It portends an era of what might be called retail medicine, in which doctors can use genetic insights to tailor treatments to the individual.

But this powerful new tool must be accompanied with powerful new protections ensuring genetic privacy and limiting genetic discrimination. The promise of genetic testing can never be realized unless people are assured that their genetic information won't be widely available and at some point held against them by prospective employers or health or life insurance companies. As University of Pennsylvania bioethicist Arthur L. Caplan told The New York Times, "If you want a genomic revolution, then you better have policies, practices and safeguards that give people comfort and trust."

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