My story – "Gene Detectives"

Published: 10:00AM Sunday April 13, 2014 Source: John Hudson

When Angelina Jolie announced last year she'd had her healthy breasts removed to lower her risk of developing breast cancer it created headlines across the globe.

Not because Ms Jolie had the BRCA1 gene, nor because she was told she had an 87 per cent chance of getting breast cancer - it was because she is a major celebrity.

There are thousands of women who have elective surgery for the same reasons without getting a mention in the press.

However what the coverage highlighted is how genetic testing is changing medicine and how the speed of that change is increasing.

If you know you've got a gene that is going to mean you will almost certainly get bowel cancer by the time you are 50 you can start to do something about it.

So when I heard about a group of specialists here in New Zealand whose job is to hunt down mutant genes I was intrigued.

These gene detectives quietly get alongside families who have often been plagued by cancer-causing genes for generations and offer them solutions which will "hugely decrease" their chance of getting cancer.

Heading the Auckland-based team is Associate Professor Susan Parry, a gastroenterologist.

"Some people just want to deny what's going on, it's not pleasant and they don't want to face up to this condition running in the family, particularly as it involves unpleasant tests." Dr Parry says.

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My story - "Gene Detectives"