Diagnosis: Cancer: Diseases Known as Cancer, The
More than 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime, and more than 20 percent will die from it. When we talk of cancer, we often refer to it as if it were a single disease, but in reality it is a general name for mo...
Disease and Ethnicity
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about the link between certain genetic disorders and ethnicity. He focuses on Tay-Sachs disease, which shows up most commonly among Ashkenazi Jews and French Canadians of southeas...
Breaking Addictions
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, talks about efforts to determine, "...whether or not there is a genetic basis for why some people find it easy to stop smoking, and other people find it...
Causes of Mental Retardation
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about prenatal tests that can be done to test for signs of mental retardation in the fetus. "Down's Syndrome is certainly one that we're very aware of and that we know how to test...
Family's Struggle, A
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about the challenges faced by a Colorado family in which two children were afflicted by a serious genetic disorder.
Alcoholism and Genetics
Dean Hamer, Director of the Gene Structure and Regulation Unit at the National Cancer Institute, observes that alcoholism, "...clearly has some genetic basis because, identical twins, even if they're raised apart, are very similar for this." Dr. Ham...
Alzheimer's Disease and Genetics
Dr. Andrew Leuchter, Director of Adult Psychiatry at UCLA, explains that, "...it's clear that there are genetic predispositions to development of Alzheimer's disease late in life..." Dr. Leuchter adds that some of those who develop Alzheimer's disea...
Purposes of Genetic Testing
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, explains that genetic testing is done to facilitate the diagnosis of genetic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Such testing can be invaluable in encouraging individuals ...
Genetic Testing Options
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about the process he follows when a couple comes to him without a known history of disease or genetic red flags. Dr. McCabe explains that he begins with a very detailed family his...
Treating Metabolic Diseases
Dr. Ed McCabe, Chief of the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA, talks about progress that's been made in treating those afflicted with Sickle Cell disease, PKU (phenylketonuria) and other metabolic disorders.