Former Google staffers have developed an at-home, reasonably affordable, test for inherited factors related to ovarian and breast cancer, reports Fast Company. The test is called Color Genomics, it's a kit, which has to be doctor-ordered, and is purchased online; you receive the test, provide a saliva sample and then mail it back. Color Genomics tests 19 genes connected to breast and ovarian cancer to determine risk levels. The "patient" is then connected with a genetic counselor to explain the results.
Developed by Othman Laraki and Elad Gil, formerly of Google, along with pathologist Taylor Sittler and biologist Nish Bhat, the kit costs $249 flat, and is not affiliated with any insurance companies. The developers sat they hope the cheaper cost will better allow women of all income levels to find out if they are at risk of these types of cancer. The New York Times notes that the University of Washington's Dr. Mary-Claire King, a Lasker Award-winning pioneer in the genetics of breast cancer, is one of Color Genomics' unpaid advisers.
