[Genetic test for cancer and intra-family communication: freedom vs. responsibility]
M L Di Pietro1, F R Di Raimo1, A A Teleman1
1Istituto di Sanità Pubblica, Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia "A. Gemelli", Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia.
Abstract:
Genetic tests affect not only single patients but also their genetic relatives. In some cases, they in fact allow to acquire information not only about a single patient, but also about those who are genetically linked (genetic relatives). By appealing to the principle of autonomy, the patient can refuse to be informed of the test result, or to inform their relatives on the risk of a pathology. How might the relatives' right to know be reconciled with the will of a patient who refuses to know or to inform? Among the large number of moral dilemmas that this field can raise, the article aims to reply to the above mentioned question and to analyse in depth some aspects of intra-family communication within the field of genetic tests for cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Genetic Screens
Forward genetic screens
Forward or “classical” genetic screens involve creating random mutations in an organism’s DNA using radiation, mutagens, or insertion of additional bases, which...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes II: Tumor Suppressor Genes
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes


