Advances in DNA Research Saving Lives
4/24/2023
Victoria Ballard, Aspirus Genetic Counselor
Advances in DNA
technology are changing our daily lives from solving decades-old crime
investigations to diagnosing and treating cancer.
National DNA Day is celebrated annually on
April 25 to commemorate two major discoveries in genetics: the
discovery of the double helix and the completion of the Human Genome Project.
Medical professionals are increasingly able to detect
cancers by a blood sample.
Aspirus offers genetic counseling services that can
help you determine your own personal inherited health risks, or those of other
family members, and learn how personalized medicine can impact your health.
“Advances in DNA sequencing technology are leading to
a new understanding of cancer and new ways for diagnosing and treating many
types of cancer,” says Victoria Ballard, Aspirus Genetic Counselor.
Cancer is a group of
genetic diseases that result from changes in the genome of cells in the body,
leading them to grow uncontrollably. These changes involve DNA mutations in the
genome.
Our cells are constantly finding and fixing mutations
that occur in our genome as the cells divide over and over again. But on rare
occasions, some mutations slip through our cells' repair machinery, and those
mutations can lead to cancer.
“The Human Genome Project has allowed us to establish
what ‘normal’ usually looks like for a human genome, so that we can now tell
when changes in our genome have taken place that lead to cancer,” says Ballard.
An Aspirus genetic
counselor will help you:
- Find your chance of
getting certain diseases
- Decide if a genetic
test is right for you
- Learn how knowing your
genetic makeup could help you with disease prevention or management so you can
make more informed health care decisions.
Call Aspirus with
questions. A referral from your provider is needed for a visit with a genetic
counselor.
To learn more or for
an appointment call 715-847-0450 or 844-212-4556, or email Genetics@aspirus.org.
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