media - very key comment from Dr Steven Narod (internally known expert genetics/BRCA) worth reading

media

'If you have to get two cases of cancer in the family to

qualify for testing, you’re only going to prevent the

third [cancer]. We should be preventing the first one.'—

Cancer researcher Dr. Steven Narod

"While her story transfixed people the world over, Narod says Jolie’s case has particular relevance to Canadians because her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, was French-Canadian. "

".....Dr. Stephen Narod, a senior scientist at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, has followed the debate about the article, but says that in scrutinizing Jolie’s decision, pundits and readers are missing a broader lesson about access to genetic testing.
“I heard so many dumb opinions over the last couple of days, [but] no one asks: why aren’t we efficiently offering this to Canadians?”  says Narod, who believes that people should have equal access to genetic tests......"

(Blogger's Note: this (access) issue is not, of course, just a Canadian issue, but it does say something about universal/healthcare systems)