FOR PATIENTS
For cancer genetics testing or counseling, call 858-822-3240 or see
Family Cancer Genetics.
For prenatal or preconception testing or counseling, call 858-657-7200 or see
Maternal-Fetal Care and Genetics.
As Southern California's comprehensive genetic services provider, the Medical Genetics Laboratories provide state-of-the-art genetic testing services to health care professionals and their patients.
Genetic Testing Services
Staffed by highly trained licensed professionals and laboratory personnel, our laboratories work closely with board-certified medical geneticists and genetic counselors to ensure timely interpretation of laboratory results.
Cytogenetics/Cytogenomics Lab
This lab offers chromosomal analysis, microarray analysis, FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization), and other services. For more details, see
Cytogenetics/Cytogenomics Lab.
Clinical Genomics Lab
This lab performs DNA- and RNA-based testing for determination of carrier status, prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of disease, identification of acquired mutations, and predictive analysis of future disease. For more information and a list of tests offered, see
Clinical Genomics Lab.
Genetic Counseling
Our geneticists are dedicated to providing you with the information and genetic counseling you need to make the best possible choices regarding the future of your family, including prenatal counseling and cancer risk counseling. For more information, see
Genetic Counseling.
Genetic Testing Background
Over the past 15 years, the medical genetics community has witnessed a rapid rise in the identification of disease-related genes and the subsequent availability of genetic tests that detect disease or an individual's carrier risk of disease.
Currently, more than 4,000 genetic diseases are known, and over 900 genetic tests are available through diagnostic laboratories. Some tests identify chromosome abnormalities such as aneuploidy and rearrangements. Other tests detect the presence of inherited gene mutations and can confirm a suspected diagnosis of disease, determine an individual's carrier state, or predict future disease. Genetic tests are also performed to identify acquired gene mutations in cancerous cells.