Perusing the brochure for the AACC 2007 Annual Meeting in San Diego this month, I was struck by the large number of educational programs on the topic of personalized medicine and its subcategories— genetic testing, pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, genomics, and bioinformatics, among others. Which ones should I put on my “must-attend” list?

A recent study by the University of Michigan Health System hinted at the growth potential in genetic testing. The report revealed that most parents are willing to have their children undergo genetic testing to determine whether there is an increased risk for developing a disease. In a random sample of 2,076 adults, 53% said they would agree to such genetic testing even when no treatment exists, while 39% said they would be willing if there were a treatment.

More information on pharmacogenomics.

While exciting, the growth of public interest and the science and technology that promise individualized diagnostics and highly targeted therapies is outpacing the economics. Regarding personalized medicine, many people in the health care industry are asking, what is practical and payable?

The market for genetic testing is obviously a huge opportunity for clinical labs, especially since consumers are now protected from discrimination (see From the Editor, and Cutting Edge, May 2007 issue). In addition to protection from discrimination, personalized medicine will require regulations, integrated information systems, and, of course, insurance coverage.

Hopefully, some light will be shed on this topic at the AACC plenary lecture by Kathryn Phillips, PhD, professor of health economics and health services research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her topic: “Show Me the Money: Understanding the Economics of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine.” This session is on my “can’t miss” list.

Will personalized medicine using genomic information be a revolution or a train wreck? A key factor, says Phillips, is whether there is evidence of the value of these new technologies. Phillips’ research in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the Institute for Health Policy Studies, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, UCSF, involves the implications of genetics for clinical practice and health policy. Whatever the answers she gives in this session, it is clear that genetic testing is a growth area for clinical laboratories.

If you’re at AACC, please stop by our booth #410 to say hello.

Cheryl Woodruff