Predictive oncogenetics offers individual risk estimates aimed at improving diagnostic, preventive and potentially therapeutic measures for people defined as being at risk due to their genetic heritage. Alongside the benefits of predictive medicine, critical voices are also being raised, as the use of personal genetic data raises a range of social and ethical questions, surrounding the motivations and consequences of acquiring this information, as well as its implications for individuals' lives and for society as a whole.

This article examines the reception of developments in oncogenetics within civil society. Four citizens' forums held in the canton of Geneva brought together 73 participants, aged between 18 and 78, including 46 women and 27 men from contrasting social backgrounds.

The results are organized around four axes underpinning the medico-technical model of risk management: the value of statistical analysis; the role attributed to genes; the ability to act to anticipate adverse events; the importance of individual responsibility in health care decisions.

The results underline the support for this model, but also the critical voices highlighting the individual and collective challenges of precision medicine developments.