New York City, New York Apr 17, 2019 (Issuewire.com) - How is RM Genomics different than 23andMe?
With respect to health reports, RM is different than 23andMe in 3 important ways:
RM testing is always physician ordered and includes genetic counselling. If a client does not have a physician of their own, RM connects them to an independent 3rd party network of physicians who review the client’s history to determine eligibility for testing. In contrast, 23andMe is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) test which does not require a physician to order and does not include genetic counselling.
You can see if you are eligible to receive a genetic testing kit click here
RM and 23AndMe use different genomic technologies. 23AndMe uses SNP arrays and RM uses NGS or Next Generation Sequencing. Here’s an analogy to show the difference between SNP arrays and NGS: The resolution of NGS is dramatically higher than SNP arrays. SNP arrays are like the first generation digital cameras which had a resolution of less than 1MP, which were revolutionary in their time. RM uses cutting edge genomic technology called Next Generation Sequencing which is analogous to the 12MP camera of the iPhone 7. Applied to genetics, a 23andMe “health report” only looks at one or a few base pairs in a gene. But, an average gene has 10,000 base pairs. Next-generation sequencing looks at all 10,000 bases as well as other important variant types. Like digital cameras, why would someone buy a 1st generation 1MP digital camera, when they can get an iPhone 8 for the same price? Moreover, if you want to know if you carry a BRCA1 mutation, for example, you need to look at every base pair in the gene. Looking at only a few base pairs isn’t very useful since there are 1000s of known pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and novel (never seen before) and private (unique to you) pathogenic variants are very common. SNP arrays simply were designed to detect these very important types of variants.
The RM test is actionable. If you get a positive result there are well-defined, evidence-based clinical guidelines for managing your risk. The RM test offers the analysis of thirty-seven (37) genes covering eighteen (18) different cancers, and there are well-established, evidence-based guidelines for you and your provider to use to determine the best preventive options for you.
You can see if you are eligible to receive a genetic testing kit Click here.
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