Hopefully this DNA analysis data will be better at telling my future than tea leaves or goat entrails.

This is a test that will look at over 500,000 different spots on my DNA.  From the results I'll be able to learn about my future health and my past ancestry.  Well, as much as I can learn given the current state of genetic knowledge.

And there's the rub.  I have held off on doing this for quite awhile because I am just not sure how useful it will be.

Most of the DNA studies on the big diseases like schizophrenia, autism, diabetes, heart disease, etc. have not been that conclusive.  They tend to find bits of DNA that have a very small effect on risk.

Undoubtedly as more studies are done, we'll find lots of bits of DNA like this and we'll be able to figure out our risk more accurately by adding them all up.  But we're not there yet.  In fact we're probably years away from being able to do this.

I have also been a bit squeamish about sending my DNA to a company.  Yes, I know they'll be careful but still…it's my DNA.  You can't get any more personal than that!  I would hate for someone to get that information and use it against me (think insurance agent).

So why did I finally decide to go through with it?  One reason is that I get a lot of questions from people at the Ask a Geneticist site about how useful or good the test is.  Right now I have to tell them I don't know.  I'd like to be more helpful than that.

I also think that it will be fascinating to see all of my bits of DNA.  This is the stuff that is a big part of making me who I am.  It will be so cool to look into that crystal ball even if the future I see is a bit murky.

Of course as a big old science geek I'll be interested in that stuff…it's my bread and butter!  What I also want to do is try to imagine what the test is like for someone who doesn't go all gaga for genetics.  How is it for people who aren't necessarily mesmerized by the beauty of DNA and instead are mostly interested in diseases, traits, and ancestry?

I guess I'll find out soon.  I sent my spit in last week.  I'll keep you updated in future posts.

When talking about genetic pre-disposition to a condition, make sure you understand both the increased risk factor and the general risk.

What I try to do in answering these questions is give them a feel for what the disease is, how genes are involved and then give them some links to some reliable websites on the topic.  I always try to emphasize that for a lot of diseases, genes are just one part of the story and that speaking with a genetic counselor in person might be a good idea.  I also warn them to look very carefully at the risk numbers.

Very often risks are given in how much more likely someone is to get a disease compared to the general public.  So, for example, if you have a brother or sister with schizophrenia, then you can be up to 9 times more likely to end up with the disease too.  Sounds like a scary number!  But it may not be…

If the general risk is 1 in a million, then 9 times is pretty insignificant.  It means that your risk is 1 in 110,000 or so.  This is worse than the chances of dating a supermodel (1 in 87,000) or of winning the lottery if you buy 50 tickets (1 in 77,000).  So if this were the case, a 9 fold increase means you still probably aren't getting the disease.

For schizophrenia, the general risk is 1 in 100.  This means that if you have a parent or sibling with the disease, your chances go up to about 1 in 11.  Unfortunately 9 times more likely looks pretty significant here…

Sometimes, though, a smaller risk can be even more significant.  For example, women who have a sister, mother, or daughter with breast cancer are twice as likely to develop breast cancer themselves.  Since about 12% of women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, this means the risk is actually 24% or about 1 in 4.

So when investigating these sorts of risks, get both numbers.  You want to know what your increased risk is because a relative has the condition AND what the general risk is.  These two numbers together will give you a better feel for your chances.

An important note here is that these risks are averages.  Your actual chances will depend on the genes you have, how you live your life, etc..  For example, some of the women is the breast cancer example carry certain versions of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.  These women are 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer pushes their risk to around 60%.

This is one of the many reasons why a sitdown with a genetic counselor is so useful.  Your risk depends on your specific situation and not an average risk you find on the internet.  A genetic counselor can take the time to carefully go over your family history and let you know what tests are available so you can better calculate your odds.

As special as my relationship with Brodie is to me, I know it's not unique. Many of us know the startling joy of being woken up by a wet nose or a slobbery lick on the cheek early Sunday morning. Everyone who knows and loves dogs will happily tell you about their favorite pooch. The Quest team has Bailey and Carrot and Skinny and Shadow and Bro. We talk about them as we would talk about our children. And even though I haven't met all of the Quest pups, I know them through their favorite people. And that brings me to Quest TV Producer Amy Miller's wonderful German Shepherd dog, Pierre. Pierre was battling cancer as we went into production on this story. Then sadly, by the time we completed this Quest episode, Pierre had been laid to rest. It was a heartbreaking blow to our friend and colleague. And I think all of us felt and understood her loss. Therefore, it is for Pierre that I dedicated this story and now think fondly of all our canine friends past, present and future.

Our time with them is sweet but painfully short. Enjoy every walk, every game of fetch at the park, every romp on the beach and every quiet moment with them curled up under your feet. Put up with their occasional mischievous misdeeds- the drinking out of toilets, getting into the garbage or chewing up your slippers. Remember, they're all good dogs. Smile and scratch them behind the ears. All they give is love and that is all they desire back… that and maybe a little treat.

Watch the Fido Fights Cancer television story online. Also, don't miss our set of behind-the-scenes photos for this story.

So much information, so little understandingOn June 9, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) sent letters to 13 different direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies telling them that they were not in compliance with California laws and needed to stop providing testing. The two main issues appear to be:

1. The testing facilities were not licensed correctly.
2. The tests were ordered without the request or counsel of a doctor.

This seems to me to be the opening salvo in an upcoming war between the government and these companies about DNA testing. The government wants to protect the consumer from getting incorrect results and/or misinterpreting the results they get. The companies want to provide people with information about their own DNA. I have to say I am unsure where I stand on this one.

On the one hand, there are some companies out there selling snake oil. For example, anyone claiming that they can provide a set of nutritional products based on your genetic test results almost certainly should be shut down.

And I would guess that the CDPH is not going after purely recreational companies like those involved in ancestry. I can't imagine why a doctor would order that kind of test. If these letters target ancestry companies, then whatever laws are involved should be changed.

There are also companies that comply with the current California laws. One of the most prominent is DNA Direct. This company follows all of the rules of the state, only offers well validated tests that are performed in a CLIA lab, and provides genetic counseling so people can understand the results they get.

But what about the companies between DNA Direct and ancestry testing services? Although we don't know for sure, the CDPH seems to have targeted many newer companies that look at hundreds of thousands or even millions of DNA differences at once throughout a person's DNA.

The three main companies that I know about that are in this gray region are Navigenics, 23andMe, and deCODEme. Navigenics is a different sort of beast from the other two in that it only provides information on DNA differences that have a well established link to a disease and they also provide genetic counseling. The other two can really be thought more of as recreational genomics at this point.

23andMe and deCODEme give a client all of their information and then tell the client what is known about each DNA difference. They offer ancestry, trait, and disease information bundled up in a single 1000 dollar test.

These companies count on the consumer being able to digest all of that data and recognize what is a strong and/or important correlation and what is not. This is the point where a group that includes the government, doctors, and many academics differ with these companies.

Once we make sure that the testing is done well, the question really boils down to whether or not the consumer can handle all of the information*. Can consumers interpret these kinds of results and know when to seek help and when not to?

The answer is that some can and some can't. So how do we protect those who can't but still allow people access to their own DNA? Or should we protect consumers at all from their own DNA information?

*There is also the stipulation about a doctor ordering the test but frankly I don't get that one and am not sure it should be part of any consumer protection.

Copy of the letter from Wired Science