Aug 8, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/J9_peIVpHWo
Providing genetic testing and counseling to those with a family history of melanoma drove them to reduce their UV exposure by a whopping 50%. This result comes from a collaborative university study just published in the journal Nature.
The investigators provided genetic counseling to all of the 128 participants who had one or more relatives treated for melanoma. Those from families known to harbor the CDKN2A, a melanoma trigger, gene also underwent genetic testing.
All participants having genetic counseling clocked a significant reduction in UV exposure and associated skin pigmentation whether they received formal genetic testing or not. Knowledge is power, and knowing your family medical history may be lifesaving in so many ways.
Tammy K. Stump, Lisa G. Aspinwall, Danielle M. Drummond, Jennifer M. Taber, Wendy Kohlmann, Marjan Champine, Pamela B. Cassidy, Tracy Petrie, Ben Liley, Sancy A. Leachman. CDKN2A testing and genetic counseling promote reductions in objectively measured sun exposure one year later. Genetics in Medicine, 2019; DOI: 10.1038/s41436-019-0608-9
#Melanoma #genetics #UV