IntroductionDue to the Human Genome Project and other genetic research, tests for disease-causing mutations have been developed. The list of these diseases includes several types of cancer. Doctors estimate that up to 3,000 diseases are caused by mutations in the genome. These diseases include several types of colon cancer for which three different genetic tests have already been developed. Debates have arisen over whether or not these tests should be used regularly. Issues such as patients' rights to privacy and the possibility of loss of their health or life insurance have been debated in the media and in the political arena. Colon cancer develops in the part of the gastrointestinal tract that absorbs water and minerals before waste is eliminated. via the rectum. In women, endometrial cancer is linked to colon cancer. This type of cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. More than one hundred and fifty thousand people will be diagnosed this year and this cancer will probably be responsible for approximately 47,900 deaths in 1999 (http://www.cancer.org). Most colon cancers are adenocarcinomas that develop from glandular cells. Ninety percent of all cases of colon cancer will develop in individuals after age 50. Ninety percent of all tumors arise from polyps commonly found in people over the age of 50. Prevention includes regular physical activity and a diet rich in fiber. The most important risk factor is age. Medical screening includes an annual occult blood test after age 50 and a colonoscopy every 3 years after age 50. Regular screening detects polyps that have become precancerous. If regular screening is not done, cancer is only detected when blood is found middle of paper ......999.Kinsley, M. 1997. Oh, my pain genes! Drawing a tube of blood is just one of the many ways we judge people. Time. September 29, 1997. Langreth, R. 1999. Early warnings. Wall Street Journal. October 18, 1999, p. R7.National Cancer Institute. Colon and rectal cancer.http://www3.cancer.org/cancerinfo/documents/overviews/coloover.asp?ct=10.O'Leary, T. 1999 Molecular diagnosis of hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association. 282 (3): 281+.Peterson, GM Lessons from familial cancers. Bulletin of the Atlantic Medical Cancer Genetics Network. Fall 1999. http://www.macgn.org/nl13e.html.Raab, M. 1998. Genetic shuffling. Working woman. October 1998. Rogers, J. 1994. Study shows imprinting directly linked to cancer. Johns Hopkins press release. June 24. http://hopkins.med.jhu.edu/NewsMedia/press/1994/JUNE/199419.HTM