Rochester Regional Health is introducing a no-cost DNA testing and screening program for people 18 or older to identify possible genetic health risks for certain cancers and heart disease.
The name of the program is GenoWell.
“GenoWell is about empowerment,” said Heather Bacchetta, Rochester Regional's precision medicine director. “By participating, you're not only learning about your own health, you're helping build a future of more equitable personalized care for all.”
Participants must provide a blood sample. Helix Research Network will then analyze the DNA for three main conditions :familial hypercholesterolemia, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and Lynch syndrome.
The results could take up to six weeks to acquire.
“This isn't just about risk. It's about readiness,” said Dr. Prad Phatak, principal investigator for the GenoWell program. “It's about ensuring that our communities have access to the same cutting-edge tools as the rest of the country.”
Phatak said this program also provides an opportunity to “integrate genetic screening into the foundation of clinical care” and observe trends. When physicians understand a patient's inherited risks, Phatak said, they can “personalize care plans earlier, intervene more effectively, and potentially prevent disease before it begins.”
Individuals with positive results for one of the targeted conditions can meet with a Rochester Regional Health genetic counselor for a no cost session to better understand the results, and to discuss proactive and preventative care planning.
Sheri Nordberg has been taking cholesterol medication since receiving her GenoWell results. Nordberg’s dad died from a heart attack at age 62. Her DNA testing showed that she was genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, a result she anticipated.
A genetic counselor spoke with her and offered advice.
“She told me what I should do,” Nordberg said. “It was all so easy, and I think everybody should go get it done.”
The GenoWell study aims to reach more than 100,000 adults over the next five years.
If an individual tests negative, officials said they should still schedule regular mammograms and colon cancer screenings.
