You Can Know Too Much About Your Genes
An exploration of the emotional and ethical complexities surrounding genetic testing for hereditary diseases like breast cancer. The author shares a personal narrative about family history and the burden of knowing one's genetic risks.
Why it matters
Highlights the psychological impact of medical advancements and the difficult decisions families face regarding genetic screening.
Genetic testing saves lives. It can also complicate them.
Illustration by Ard Su July 12, 2026, 6 AM ET Share Save I was pregnant with my first baby when my grandmother died. The last time I saw her, she had moved into an assisted-living facility where all of her worldly possessions were condensed down to two small rooms. She had been condensed down, too, from the tall southern woman of my childhood memories into a pale and thin ghost of herself curled in an armchair. She was 80 years old and had been battling metastatic breast cancer for 15 years.
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