Reading between the Lines: Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Genetic Testing

摘要: A case study in the kinds of problems to expect from this increasingly popular marketing tactic, On a recent Friday evening, we had good fortune find ourselves at performance Margaret Edson's Tony Award-winning play W;t (pronounced "wit"). The lived up its accolades. In an Oncology Unit unnamed research hospital, Vivian Bearing, academician and scholar John Donne's poetry, has become subject as she lives out her final days with stage-IV ovarian cancer. We left theater tears, chilled by stark depiction metastatic cancer's pain ability clinical trial detract dying woman's humanity. Thumbing through playbill minutes before began, however, stopped full-page advertisement taken biotechnology company for commercial BRCA1 BRCA2 genetic test. Our eyes were drawn first head-and-shoulders photograph woman holding hand across chest, side woeful countenance shadow. She is worried about recurrent breast cancer, if text around picture any indication. Yet proper test, also learn, could dispel fear provide hope. That was placed for-profit indicated only subtle reference company's name within website address, printed bottom page. problematic on three counts: it manipulative, misleading, misguiding. It manipulative because targets vulnerable audience, there witness Dr. Bearing's isolated vividly painful death With dread cancer hanging air, readers will be easily beguiled advertisement's prophetic headline, "The thing worse than hearing you have twice" (with words "hearing," "cancer," "twice" bold enlarged lettering). misleading promotes product incomplete times incorrect information. Its central claim familiar mantra that "knowledge power." But information must both accurate pertinent empowering. This not tailored, ought be, small number women who fall high-risk categories BRCA1- or BRCA2-related Nor does recognize test results often lack certainty prevention options are debatable utility. appropriately qualify claims availability legal protections against health insurance discrimination undergo testing. misguides suggesting they contact directly BRCA1/2 rather talk their care providers testing, personal risk potential usefulness entering era which ever more tests integrated into practice. can concomitant increase direct-to-consumer these tests. advertisement--one first, far know, target consumers testing--provides example how value misrepresented. provides what need guard against. Overstatement Misrepresentation opens suggestion should want learn cancer: If discover your second would you? Chances are, ... Such promise [this test]. reads code determine whether possess altered genes dramatically Knowing family history neither enough, nor always accurate. [This test] is." way framing testing overly broad, since smaller groups whom mutations may concern. …