- By Elizabeth Chao, MD, FACMG
- Posted October 17, 2024
The Evolution of Hereditary Cancer Testing: Why Pan-Cancer Panels Are the Future of Genetic Risk Assessment
Hereditary cancer testing has changed dramatically over the past decade, reshaping how healthcare professionals diagnose and manage genetic risks. Initially, testing focused on specific genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, linked to breast and ovarian cancers. These gene tests were quite limited, only looking at a small set of mutations…
- By Elizabeth Chao, MD, FACMG
- Posted October 10, 2024
Pioneering New Research to Support Rare Disease Patients and Families
Unlocking the mysteries of the genome is our life’s work. Since the launch of our first clinical genomic test for identifying the genetic cause of rare diseases, we’ve sought ways to leverage our technology and expertise to support clinicians and the patients and families they serve. As genomic technologies improve, we gain new tools that…
- By Amanda Jacquart, MS, LCGC
- Posted July 31, 2024
The Importance of TCLR in Mismatch Repair Variant Classification: A Genetic Counselor’s Perspective
In the field of genetic counseling and testing, the stories of patients and the healthcare professionals who guide them through their journeys are as compelling as they are educational. Recently, I had the privilege of working with Alyssa Valentine, MS, CGC, a senior genetic counselor at Cook County Health in Chicago, Illinois. In her role in a…
- By Jessica Grzybowski, MS, CGC
- Posted July 3, 2024
TCLR: Revisiting an Innovative Method for Mismatch Repair Variant Classification
In the rapidly evolving landscape of hereditary cancer genetics, precision in classifying genetic variants is crucial. Ambry Genetics recognizes this need and consistently innovates by applying rigorous methods and multidisciplinary expertise to better interpret variants, including for specific gene and variant types that can be more challenging.…
- By Jennifer Herrera-Mullar, MGC, CGC, DMA
- Posted July 2, 2024
The Evolving Landscape of Gene-Disease Validity Curation and Its Impact on Clinical Utility
In the ever-evolving field of genetics, understanding the relationship between genes and diseases is crucial for improving patient care. Gene-Disease Validity (GDV) scoring plays a pivotal role in this process, helping genetic counselors and healthcare professionals assess genetic risks and enhance medical management. As GDV scoring techniques…
- By Meghan Towne, MS, CGC, LCGC
- Posted May 2, 2024
Gene-Disease Validity: Developing and Applying a Rigorous Framework in a Diagnostic Laboratory Setting
Our understanding of genes and diseases is constantly evolving. At Ambry Genetics, we develop and continuously refine our testing services based on the ever-expanding body of scientific evidence. The process of assessing the relationship between a gene and a disease is called gene-disease validity (GDV) scoring and is fundamental to genetic testing.…
- By Chelsea Menke, MS, LCGC
- Posted April 30, 2024
Advancing Equity: TriHealth’s Experience Leveraging CARE to Standardize Cancer Risk Assessment
National Minority Health Month (NMHM) dates back to April 1915 when Booker T. Washington established the National Health Improvement Week (later known as National Negro Health Week).1,2 The goal then, as it remains today, was to improve the health and wellbeing of underserved or minority populations. This can only be done by building awareness…
- By Carrie Horton, MS, CGC
- Posted April 29, 2024
Addressing Disparities in Genetic Testing: Strategies for Improving Variant Classification Accuracy in Underrepresented Populations
Genetic testing has emerged as a powerful tool in personalized medicine, offering insights into individual health risks, disease predispositions, and treatment options. However, its effectiveness relies on the accuracy of the results. We know that individuals from non-White populations receive less informative genetic testing results compared to…
- By Meghan Towne, MS, CGC, LCGC
- Posted April 2, 2024
Family Trios Gene Reclassification: Optimizing Diagnostic Potential Impact of Exome Sequencing
The ability of exome sequencing (ES) to detect variants across the genetic code makes it a powerful diagnostic tool, reducing the number of tests and time to diagnose patients with rare disorders. However, with this broad detection range comes the challenge of identifying which of hundreds or thousands of rare variants may be clinically meaningful…
- By Marcy Richardson, PhD
- Posted March 28, 2024
APC: New Takes on an Old Gene
A Brief History of APC The APC pathway was discovered in 1982 (more than 40 years ago!). APC is a tumor suppressor gene, meaning it helps the cell division process happen in a controlled way, which helps prevent tumor development. In 1991, Kinzler and Vogelstein discovered that pathogenic variants in the APC gene are…