Watch the video from Fox2 KTVU’s 9AM morning show Friday morning. Interview is about a local family who lost their daughter to Lynch syndrome at the age of 23. Sweet Jacqueline Rush is now with us only in spirit. If she had been tested for Lynch Syndrome earlier, she would be alive today. I promised her that I would do everything I could to spread the word about genetic screening in order to hopefully save lives. Her doctors diagnosed her with “constipation” in high school after years of rectal bleeding. We now have the opportunity to test more people because of reduced testing costs thanks to: getaheadofcancer.counsyl.com
On March 30, 2014, Jacqueline lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 23. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer when she was just 20 years old. It’s highly likely that her cancer was present when she was having some health issues during high school. Knowing about Lynch Syndrome and the likelihood that it was the cause of her family’s colon cancer history would have saved her life.
The guidelines for testing are in part based on very expensive test costs. Now that companies like Counsyl are using technology to bring the cost down, we have the opportunity to test more people and save lives.
What is the “Get Ahead of Cancer Initiative?”
Counsyl, a health technology company that offers affordable DNA testing, has teamed up with UCSF to help women “get ahead of cancer” by offering free DNA testing for inherited cancers during the months of October & November
Each test covers 22 genes, including the Lynch syndrome genes we’re talking about today, and a complimentary consultation with a board certified genetic counselor. That’s important because women need to understand their risks and what they can do about them. Who should have the Counsyl Inherited Cancer Screen?
Professional medical societies recommend that people with a strong personal or family history of breast, ovarian, colon and other cancers at a young age undergo DNA testing.
However, sometimes families are small or health records are not available to establish a history. Additionally, recent studies have shown that the guidelines do not identify everybody with a mutation until they develop cancer. That’s not prevention, and we need to shift our thinking around DNA testing towards cancer prevention.
Having access to information is the first step for women to make personal choices about how to preserve their health. If the test is too expensive, then access is limited. The “Get Ahead of Cancer” initiative is changing that, starting now.
Why should anyone care?
As a society, we focus a lot on external factors that can contribute to disease, like nutrition, exercise, and stress. DNA testing provides clarity around something that we tend to ignore, namely the mutations inside of our bodies that can cause disease. We all strive to make choices that keep ourselves and our families healthy, and in order to be truly proactive, we need this crucial bit of information about ourselves.
Basic logistics
Testing can be performed on blood or saliva
Women living or working in the Bay Area can visit www.getaheadofcancer.com to see a list of participating doctors
Results take 2 weeks or less
Included with the screen is on demand access to board certified genetic counselors who can help you make sense of the results
Questions about Counsyl & the Get Ahead of Cancer Program
Where is this program being offered?
The San Francisco Bay Area
How long?
The program dates are from October 1st to November 31st
How do I sign up if my Obgyn is not on the list?
You can let your doctor know about the program and that they can contact Counsyl at [email protected] to be a participating physician.
All physicians who are located in the Bay Area are welcome to join.
What makes the counsyl test different?
Historically testing has been very expensive, so if patients didn’t meet strict insurance coverage guidelines, they wouldn’t be able to get access to testing. This is really problematic, since a lot of research suggests that many individuals who would test positive for one of the genes on the panel currently do not qualify for insurance coverage. By using technology to lower the cost, Counsyl aims to broaden testing to more who could benefit.
Is the test only available to women? The test is available to both men and women.
Why do the current guidelines restrict some people from accessing inherited cancer screens? The main objections to universal screening have been cost and access to counseling services. Historically, these are the same considerations used in determining guidelines. Counsyl’s technology has allowed doctors to provide lower cost screening with on demand genetic counseling for all patients.
If the guidelines are excluding so many people at risk, why haven’t the guidelines changed? It’s really about a cost benefit analysis. Until all laboratories bring down their costs, the medical community and health plans must account for the range of costs charged by all laboratories.
How much does Counsyl’s Inherited Cancer Screen cost when it’s not free? Price varies depending on insurance. without insurance coverage have the option to selfpay for $349.
Is the Inherited Cancer Screen covered by insurance when it’s not free? Yes the majority of national and regional plans pay for this type of testing. Insurance plans look at patients’ personal and family history of cancer in deciding when to pay, and for those who are not covered by their insurance, we offer testing at a selfpay price at $349.
Please visit this website to donate and learn more about the Jacqueline Rush Foundation: http://www.chris4life.org/jacquelinerush
Leave a Reply