Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (212729)	1/12/2007 2:08:25 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Respond to of 281500

The stomach cancer family is a good example. The guy who has just had his stomach removed is about 28, a doctor, and he only learned about the genetic problem a couple of years ago, had the DNA test and turned out to have the short straw. The short straw in this instance means he will get stomach cancer, not that he has a disposition to it. Until getting the DNA test, he had a 50:50 chance of having the bung gene. Once he had the bung gene confirmed, it was only a matter of time. He had a stomach inspection and they found cancer, but fortunately only a small area. On surgery, they found it didn't appear to have spread to lymph etc, so his prognosis is good [other than having a missing stomach for the rest of his life]. If it was my family, I would opt to have an embryo checked for the defect, then go ahead and implant it. I would absolutely not just go ahead and have a baby cursing it with a 50:50 chance of stomach cancer or surgical removal of stomach at a young age. I would opt for genetic engineering. That looks like an excellent case for genetic engineering. Playing Go- as the religious cranks put it. If some blunder was discovered at birth, and the baby had the curse, I would prefer to kill it and do it right next time. It seems absurd to spend vast fortunes on keeping seriously maimed infants alive and in trouble all their lives, when perfectly healthy infants around the world could be hugely helped with some disease prevention, some clean water, vaccinations, and low-cost medical support. Mqurice