Should Close Relatives Get Targeted VUS Testing?

is targeted testing for vus recommeneded to close relatives

Should Close Relatives Get Targeted VUS Testing?

Genetic testing for variants of unsure significance (VUS) in members of the family is usually a helpful instrument in clarifying the medical implications of a VUS recognized in a proband. When a affected person receives a VUS end result, it signifies a change of their DNA sequence whose influence on well being shouldn’t be but totally understood. Cascade testing permits healthcare professionals to watch the presence or absence of the identical VUS in kin with or with out the related situation. This remark can present proof supporting or refuting the pathogenicity of the variant, in the end aiding in threat evaluation and administration for the complete household.

Clarifying the importance of a VUS provides a number of potential advantages. It might scale back uncertainty and anxiousness related to an ambiguous end result, permitting households to make extra knowledgeable selections about medical administration, together with surveillance and preventative measures. It contributes to the rising physique of data about genetic variants, enhancing variant interpretation and medical look after future sufferers. Moreover, as scientific understanding advances, a VUS reclassified as pathogenic or benign can have vital implications for members of the family who’ve undergone testing.

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