Color Genomics, founded by ex-Googlers, is an at-home test for BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutations.
Last month, the film star Angelina Jolie Pitt had her ovaries removed—a response to learning that she has a damaged BRCA1 gene, which indicated that her chances of contracting breast or ovarian cancer in her lifetime were around 80% and 50%, respectively. It's the same reason she had a controversial preventative double mastectomy in 2013. Her actions spawned a national conversation about privilege and access to information about one's own genes. Tests for BRCA1 and BRCA2 typically cost up to $4000, and insurance companies have strict criteria when it comes to covering these tests, disqualifying many women who don't have a family history of cancer at a young age or don't meet other requirements—including, in some cases, a personal history with cancer themselves.
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