Gene tests can already predict some unusual diseases, including some in which a single gene mutation has devastating consequences. And now researchers hope to sift through genetic records of typical families for clues to more common maladies. In the future, combinations of gene tests may be used just as cholesterol tests are now. And they promise to be more accurate, thus sparing some patients from unnecessary treatment while offering more persuasive advice. If I say you've got a 100-fold risk, then you probably would be more inclined to alter your behavior.
Researchers hope drugs can be devised to accomplish the same thing for other cancers.
Geneticists, however, are mindful that lifestyle and environment work in combination with genes to influence our health. They emphasize that genetic testing cannot provide all the answers.