| Since about the 1950's some major breakthroughs | | | | the person's genes. |
| have taken place in the area of genetic testing which | | | | Another disease that may be able to be predicted by |
| have meant that today many conditions may be | | | | genetic testing and which is currently hotly debated is |
| diagnosed by genetic testing. In this article we will | | | | autism. New tests may allow geneticists to test for |
| discuss a few of these conditions diagnosed by | | | | autism using prenatal genetic testing but many people, |
| genetic testing but there is constantly new research | | | | especially amongst the autistic community are |
| becoming available which means that the conditions | | | | questioning whether this testing is ethical. As a |
| listed below are by no means a full list of conditions | | | | prospective parent you are going to need to decide |
| benefited by DNA testing. | | | | this for yourself and whether you want to have tests |
| One of the conditions that can be predicted using | | | | done, especially if your family has a history of autism. |
| genetic testing is the likelihood of getting certain | | | | Down's syndrome is another condition which may be |
| cancers. A number of cancers appear to be gene | | | | diagnosed by genetic testing, however, the modern |
| linked and as such can be predicted using genetic | | | | methods of DNA testing may not be as accurate for |
| testing. Breast Cancer for example is linked to the | | | | predicting Down's syndrome as the more traditional |
| BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. | | | | methods of testing for this disorder and so a combined |
| Huntington's disease, a degenerative brain disorder, is | | | | testing method using both prenatal genetic testing as |
| another condition which may be predicted by genetic | | | | well as older, more traditional methods. |
| testing. It is important to realize however that just | | | | In conclusion, genetic testing may be used to diagnose |
| because one is shown to contain the gene for | | | | and predict a number of genetic disorders including |
| Huntington's disease does not necessarily mean that | | | | certain cancers, Huntington's disease, autism, Down's |
| one will have Huntington's disease; this is dependent on | | | | syndrome and a number of other disorders and |
| how many cycles of the CAG bases are found within | | | | diseases. |