Screening for familial adenomatous polyposis

Screening for familial adenomatous polyposisWhen a serious genetic disorder is diagnosed in the family, an immediate question arises: are other family members at risk? Ethical issues arise when DNA technology allows testing of children for a condition which is unlikely to have significant morbidity until later life.Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) exemplifies this dilemma.A rational approach to screening requires both an understanding of the natural history of the condition and an acknowledgement of the ethical issues involved.