10 May Clinically Useful Genome Interpretation

Diagnostics is hugely influencing disease treatment, management,and interventional prevention. The flood of findings is enormous, yet, not all of it is interpretable which produces a huge challenge not only for the test provider, but also for the physician and patient. At the upcoming Personalized Medicine World Conference, PMWC 2016 Silicon Valley, we have an entire session dedicated to this subject.

The session “Clinically Useful Genome Interpretation” will discuss applications, needs, and challenges with an amazing set of speakers lined up:

Nathan Pearson, Ph.D., Senior Director of Scientific Engagement and Public Outreach at NYGC

Beyond uncommon nonsense: Why we should clinically classify genotypes, not variants -150 years after Mendel first probed heritability, we risk forgetting his main finding, in rushing to broaden clinical genomics toward lifelong care for all. Embracing that insight now — as we long have in tracking the chemistry of health — can help gird our health infrastructure for the long haul.

Edmund Tai, Medical Director of Clinical Genetics at Palo Alto Medical Foundation

“Where rubber meets the road” – Germline testing for hereditary cancer has dramatically affected management of cancer and interventional prevention. The interpretation of the findings will need to be refined. New efforts will need to be made to overcome this bottleneck as clinicians and patients are desperate for improvement in prevention and treatment.