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The genetic tests are in and have determined the percentage of Senator Elizabeth Warren's  American Indian ancestry. Now none can dare question her heritage which has finally been firmly established. The problem, however, is that Warren might have less American Indian blood in her than the percentage of Sherpa ancestry of the average resident of Idaho. The October 15 Boston Globe makes an attempt in "Warren releases results of DNA test" to establish the American Indian bonafides of the Massachusetts senator but ultimately the most Indian thing about her might be the name of the state she represents. 

Celera Genomics plans to announce today that it has developed a genetic test it says can help predict which patients with hepatitis C will eventually suffer liver scarring and so are in most need of treatment. The test, which looks at variations in seven genes, represents another step toward personalized medicine, in which treatments are tailored to patients. Various companies are selling or developing such tests, for purposes that include detecting cancer early, monitoring heart transplants and choosing which drugs may work best to treat cancer, AIDS and heart disease. In the case of hepatitis C, therapy is expensive and...

Results May Let Some Skip Chemotherapy A new genetic test can identify breast cancer patients who are unlikely to suffer recurrences, potentially sparing tens of thousands of women from unnecessarily undergoing chemotherapy, researchers reported yesterday. The test appears to offer a solution to one of the most vexing problems in breast cancer treatment today -- deciding which women can safely forgo the expensive and often debilitating follow-up treatment -- and marks one of the first tangible benefits of the massive effort to harness genetics to fight cancer, experts said. "These study findings represent a major advance in our understanding of...