How Your Genetic Code Could Warn You About Potential Diseases

by Dr. Brian McDonough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Do you want to know your personal genetic code and what diseases you might face some day? Are you looking for only certain information about certain conditions? There was a time that this was the stuff of science fiction and even though science is not at the point where we can give you precise information about specific diseases all across the spectrum of health, we can find out many things at a relatively low cost.

All of this is going to make each of us wonder "what should we do?" how much should we find out? There is a great deal of talk about this in medical circles and although there is certainly not a universal angle many physicians recommend considering testing for potential devastating conditions if they run in a family and if the genetic tests have been studied thoroughly.

A great example is the BRCA genes and genes for ovarian cancer. But it makes sense to limit the testing.