DNA test detects Cancer during Pregnancy

The same test that screens for chromosomal disorders like Down syndrome may also identify early stage cancers in expectant mothers.
The study, published in JAMA Oncology, examined the accuracy of noninvasive prenatal testing among more than 4,000 moms to be. Noninvasive prenatal testing, which involves a blood test done as early as 10 weeks, is gaining popularity as a genetic test for pregnant women. Until recently, the test was primarily used to screen those with a higher risk for having an infant with Down syndrome."Considering the bad prognosis of some cancers when detected later, and given that we know that it is both possible and safe to treat the disease during pregnancy, this is an important added advantage of [noninvasive prenatal testing]," study author Joris Vermeesch, professor and head of the Laboratory for Cytogenetics and Genome Research at the University of Leuven in Belgium, said in a press release.Vermeesch and colleagues identified Ovarian Cancer, Lymphoma and Hodgkin Lymphoma in three of the women enrolled in the study. Two of the three women were treated for cancer; the third woman did not require treatment at the stage of diagnosis.
The researchers say this type of testing should not be limited to pregnant women.
"However, our study feeds into the ethical debate about whether or not to report incidental findings to patients, and also has implications for the current political discussions concerning reimbursement and funding of (noninvasive prenatal testing) by national health care systems," Vermeesch said in the release.