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Get a DNA Kit for Christmas? Here’s Something You Need to Know

Publication: KWTX-TV (CBS, Waco)
12/26/2019

DNA kits from companies such as Ancestry.com and 23andMe that use genetic tests to determine not only family history, but also increased risk for such health problems as cancer, were popular gifts again this Christmas.

But Dr. Carlos Encarnacion, an oncologist with Texas Oncology in Waco, warns that the results the companies provide about health risks don’t include all the answers.

"It depends strongly on the patient because even if a test comes back negative that doesn't mean they don't have a chance for cancer," Encarnacion said.

"I will always recommend that if you do any of those DNA tests, go over it with your family doctor," he says.

Doctors do say that the kits are helpful in identifying certain mutations, and can lead to constructive conversations with providers about health risks.
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