Should All Individuals Be Screened for Genetic Predisposition to Cancer?

Drama as a Powerful Tool to Enrich Socio-scientific Argumentation

“…It is interesting to note that these concerns have also been reported by several scholars (e.g. Botkin et al, 2015 ; Bracewell-Milnes et al, 2021 ; Forbes Shepherd et al, 2021 ; Giarelli, 2001 ; Wedderburn & McVeigh, 2021 ). It is therefore plausible to suggest that the fictional argumentative interaction between Tamara and Bruno recreated in the play Talking about Genetic Testing at The Country Museum appears to be a useful resource to introduce students to the main aspects of concern about genetic testing.…”

“…It should be pointed out that this sequence is not a panacea to solve all obstacles to success in preparing students to make critical decisions about genetic testing. It is just one research-based contribution among many others that will be required to equip students with effective and pragmatic tools that enable them to deal critically with the current and complex tapestry of concerns of genetic testing, such as the introduction of genomic screening to detect a predisposition for cancer (Wedderburn & McVeigh, 2021 ), transparency, consent, and trust in the use of customers’ data by online genetic testing companies (Raz et al, 2020 ), the use of pre-implantation genetic testing for sex selection (Bracewell-Milnes et al, 2021 ), the balance between autonomy and responsibility to decide whether to undergo genetic testing (Nurmi et al, 2021 ; Strohmaier et al, 2019 ), the social influence of genetic testing decision-making (Zimmermann et al, 2021 ), conflicting emotions after knowing a person’s genetic status (Nurmi et al, 2021 ), and non-health-related uses of DTC genetic testing (e.g. investigative genetic genealogy) (Majumder et al, 2021 ).…”

“…At the heart of our drama-based TLS was the controversial question, “Should the use of genetic tests among people be encouraged?” This was chosen for a variety of reasons. These include (1) this question is widely recognized as a fundamental one within the current genetic testing controversy (Forbes Shepherd et al, 2021 ; Wedderburn & McVeigh, 2021 ); (2) the WHO ( 2011 ) insists that critical reflection on this question is indispensable to foster awareness of the importance of respecting the voluntary nature of genetic testing; (3) there are no clear-cut answers to this controversial question, but rather arguments in favor and against genetic testing (Majumder et al, 2021 ; Sharpe & Carter, 2006 ); and (4) Botkin et al ( 2015 ), Giarelli ( 2001 ), Nurmi et al ( 2021 ), and Strohmaier et al ( 2019 ) observe that a desirable decision-making process about this question requires the consideration of diverse aspects (e.g. economic, ethical, social) related to genetic testing.…”

Who Should Have Multigene Germline Testing for Hereditary Cancer?

“…[20][21][22][23] The importance of pretest genetic education and counseling by a qualified clinician cannot be overstated. [3][4][5][6][7] The risks and benefits for not just the counselee but for their relatives need to be explained and understood.…”

“…Thus, the decision to undergo germline genetic testing is not to be taken lightly by the clinician or the person being tested. [3][4][5][6][7] In individuals with cancer, somatic tumor sequencing has revolutionized cancer treatment by allowing for individualized therapeutics on the basis of the tumor's mutation profile. 8 However, it further complicates the issue of genetic testing because sequencing of the somatic genome can also identify unexpected germline genetic variants.…”