NEW YEAR, NEW OUTLOOK ON YOUR HEALTH
HOW GENETIC TESTING CAN PLAY A PIVOTAL ROLE IN PROACTIVE HEALTHCARE
Learn MoreBACKGROUND:
As we enter a brand-new year, many people are looking for a new outlook on their health, with a renewed focus on proactive care. In addition to regular screenings, wellness checks, good diet and exercise, it’s important to know about the health factors that may not be under your full control, like genetics. Your genetics serve as a blueprint to your health—and many people aren’t aware that genetic testing has become increasingly affordable and can unlock valuable health insights that can significantly impact the course of your health journey. This knowledge is especially critical for underrepresented communities, who can be more at risk for certain health conditions, including cancer, to feel empowered to take ownership of their health.
NEW YEAR, NEW HEALTH CHECKLIST:
- Changes in Family History: Have you had any big—or small—changes to your health this past year? Any family members diagnosed with cancer? These are questions to start asking as you take stock of your health and plan your wellness visits.
- Your Genes and You: An individual’s genetics can have significant implications for their own health and the health of their children and family, so it’s important to ask your doctor if genetic testing might be right for you. Genetic information can help give clues that lead to a diagnosis or understand a genetic condition and unlock information to guide a health plan for conditions such as heart disease. It can also enable your doctor to understand your risks for cancer or how to more effectively treat cancer in a personalized way.
- Ethnicity and Risk: A stark reality is that, according to the American Cancer Society, the Black population is at the highest risk from cancer death for most cancers, even though the white population has the highest rate of new cancers. This is because there is a lack of access to screening and treatments for this community. Additionally, there historically is a lack of diversity in clinical trial data, putting this community at a disadvantage for medical and scientific insights. It's critical for underrepresented communities to be aware of this information and talk to a doctor.
Jerome Madison, General Manager of Oncology at Invitae shares ways genetic testing can guide your long-term well being and the wellbeing of your family. He also discusses how affordable genetic testing is being offered to more communities and how to talk to your doctor about your family’s comprehensive health history.
For more information please visit: www.invitae.com
MORE ABOUT JEROME MADISON:
Jerome leads Invitae’s oncology business, driving innovative, best-in-class products and services across its oncology portfolio. A veteran of the precision cancer movement, Jerome has led successful companies in the genomic testing space to become market leaders. He has extensive experience supporting organizations in launching innovative diagnostic and software products to accelerate the adoption of precision oncology and improve patient access. Jerome also helped create best practices for the adoption of clinical genomics and brings his vast network and knowledge to Invitae. In addition to leading start-ups and mentoring and coaching people in the industry, Jerome is the host of the award-winning Precision Medicine Podcast, a certified executive coach, a published author and keynote speaker on the topic of innovation. Jerome holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Produced for: Invitae
