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Previous Volume 359:1406-1407 September 25, 2008 Number 13 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: In their discussion of polygenics and breast cancer, Pharoah et al. (June 26 issue)¹ do not mention cost-effectiveness. If we take 3% for the reduction in total disease burden estimated by Pharoah et al. and apply it to the calculated 0.6-year increase in life expectancy if all breast cancers were eliminated,² current polygenic tests would increase life expectancy by just 1 week for the whole female population.

Although the gain is modest, the relatively low cost of implementing the polygenic approach makes it attractive when one considers the estimated additional quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Even a comprehensive . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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