Ethical Questions in the Pursuit of Genetic Information

Abstract

Breast cancer is a disease that will directly affect more than 10% of all women (and a small percentage of men) in North America. All who realize they have this disease will have their lives disrupted; most will undergo surgery to remove the offending cells and surrounding tissue. Many will also undergo radiation, chemotherapy, and/or long term prophylactic drug regimens; all will be advised to seek ongoing medical surveillance of their breasts and related tissues for the rest of their lives. An unacceptably high number of these people will die from this disease or from complications associated with it. The lives of all those who are close to people who experience breast cancer will be dramatically changed and their own sense of safety will be noticeably reduced. And most women, including many of the more than 85% of the North American population which will never develop breast cancer, will live their lives in fear of developing this disease; many will come to depend upon regular medical reassurances that they are (for now) cancer free.