Geisinger announces milestone in DNA health data program

(WTAJ) — Geisinger announced that its “ MyCode Community Health Initiative ” has enrolled 350,000 participants, which is a milestone for the program.

MyCode, which is the largest healthcare system-based study of its kind in the United States, has reported DNA sequences and health data for nearly 230,000 of their participants. The program was one of the first to return clinically actionable genetic results to patient-participants through its Genomic Screening and Counseling (GSC) program.

To date, more than 5,000 participants at increased risk for potentially life-threatening conditions, like hereditary breast and colon cancers, familial hypercholesterolemia and heart disease, have received genomic risk results. These results allow patients to work with care providers to prevent disease, detect it earlier or treat it better and potentially lead to better health outcomes.

“Providing these clinically actionable results to our patients empowers them to take action that
may lead to better health outcomes for themselves and their families,” Christa Lese Martin,
Ph.D., Geisinger’s chief scientific officer, said. “The continued growth of the MyCode program not
only benefits patients, it provides crucial information to discover new genetic links to disease.”

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DNA samples are analyzed to look for changes in 81 genes known to increase the risk of developing more than 35 health conditions. Examples include, BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are known to increase the risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

The project has also explored the return of clinically relevant results for other medical conditions, such as neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

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