With advances made in recent years in understanding genetics, it is now possible to administer tests to help determine an individual’s susceptibility to cancer and to possibly ascertain the best courses of treatment for those that have certain cancers. But with this technology comes a list of questions regarding the timing, accuracy and even the ethics of testing individuals for susceptibility to disease. The U.T. Health Science Center’s Dr. William Hyman discusses these issues in this edition of Health Connection.

What is genetic or gene testing? (first question)

What is the relationship between genes and cancer? (skip to 0:31)

How are diseased cancer genes identified? (skip to 1:05)

How accurate is genetic testing as a predictor of cancer? (skip to 2:26)

What types of cancer susceptibility can be identified using genetic testing? (skip to 3:21)

Who should have genetic cancer testing done? (skip to 4:15)

How is genetic testing for cancer performed? (skip to 5:10)

What does the future hold of genetic testing as a tool to diagnose cancer? (skip to 5:44)

Are there ethical questions attendant to genetic testing? (skip to 6:40)

In addition to having a profound impact on the quality of a woman’s life, menopause can set the stage for other problems, such as diabetes, heart trouble and osteoporosis. The latest studies on hormone replacement therapy suggest that the benefits of HRT in many, many cases offset the risks. The U.T. Health Science Center’s Dr. Ralph Turner discusses the latest on menopause therapy in this edition of Health Connection.

What’s new in menopausal medicine? (first question)

What are the benefits to hormone replacement therapy by age group? (skip to 2:06)

With respect to hormone replacement therapy, what are the risks in absolute numbers? (skip to 3:02)

What is the Women’s Health Initiative and how do we interpret it? (skip to 4:36)

What if a woman who has been on hormone replacement therapy but stopped now wants to resume? (skip to 6:10)

What is new in the area of bio-identical hormones? (skip to 7:24)

What other organs may benefit from the early use of menopausal hormone therapy? (skip to 8:45)