Fertility watchdog considers cancer gene screening

August 11, 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/genes/article/0,2763,1547713,00.html

Fertility watchdog considers cancer gene screening James Meikle, health correspondentFriday August 12, 2005The Guardian Families with a history of cancers and other inherited diseases may soon be able to ensure their babies do not have the genes responsible by opting for IVF instead of natural conception.

Fertility regulators are considering whether to widen the rules which already allow parents to ensure babies are not born with faulty genes that will inevitably lead to conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease. This would enable clinics to offer parents the opportunity to prevent their offspring inheriting genes for conditions that may develop later in life, even thoughInherited breast, ovarian and colon cancer are likely to be among the first targeted if the change goes ahead.

The move is likely to prompts ethical debate for two reasons. First, it might encourage families with no history of fertility problems despite other family health problems to seek IVF. Secondly, it would mean the destruction of embryos capable of forming life with no guarantee that genes they carried would be responsible to later disease. Screening using pre-implantation genetic diagnosis has been allowed for more than three years, but it is thought that the technique has been used no more than 100 times. Angela McNab, chief executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said it wanted to a public debate on the issue and would be providing further details in the autumn. "The question we want to ask people is, should this technology also be used on diseases that people have a lower chance of getting and may occur later in life? "Our policy team have identified that we are likely to have to consider applications for using treatment in this way for inherited breast cancer and other conditions in the near future. No parent would wish their daughter to have major and traumatic surgery, but not every woman who carries the faulty breast cancer gene will develop the disease." The charity Breast Cancer Campaign welcomed the promised consultation on "this very difficult and sensitive issue". Its chief executive, Pamela Goldberk, said: "These are parents facing the possibility of having daughters at a greatly increased risk of developing the disease but with the possibility that they may not develop it. "This is a very difficult judgment for parents to have to make. Once the possibility for genetic screening exists it is very difficult to deny it to those people who are or might be affected." John Toy, medical director of Cancer Research UK, said: "As more genes are discovered which predispose people to an increased risk of cancer, it is essential that society has an educated debate on how to use the new information. "For instance, carrying a faulty version of the gene BRCA1 is by no means a death sentence. Not all women who carry this fault will develop breast cancer, and even those who do can have potentially life-saving treatment."

In the know?Sign up for our email alertsRelated articles13.01.2005: Consultation launched on test tube baby rules11.12.2004: Axe IVF watchdog, says fertility expert23.11.2004: IVF 'needs more research'25.06.2004: Woman loses IVF embryo appeal25.02.2004: Reid acts to end IVF postcode lottery22.02.2004: Infertile couples to get just 'one shot' at IVF treatment not all people with the genes will ever get the disease.

Mums-to-be ignore smoking advice

Press Association Friday August 12, 2005 5:13 AM

The majority of women fail to quit smoking during pregnancy - even when given specialist counselling to help them stop, researchers have said.

Women expecting a baby are encouraged to stop smoking because of the harmful effects of the chemicals on the foetus, which can lead to breathing disorders and other problems.

But many still struggle to quit, especially women who are heavy smokers.

Now research, published in the British Medical Journal, has shown that, even when women are given extra counselling and advice to kick the habit, the majority still fail.

Researchers from the University of Glasgow looked at the impact of motivational interviewing by specially-trained midwives to help pregnant smokers to stop.

It is estimated that a third of pregnant women smoke, with present guidelines recommending they be offered intensive support to help them quit.

This includes motivational interviewing - one-to-one counselling designed to treat addictions.

The researchers studied 762 pregnant women who were regular smokers when they became pregnant.

All of the women were given standard health promotion information, but 351 were also offered up to five motivational interviews at home with specially-trained midwives.

The researchers measured the women's levels of cotinine - a by-product of nicotine found in the blood and saliva - to check the results in women who said they were quitting or cutting down on cigarettes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-5205031,00.html