The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) has issued a clarification of its recent practice release on recommendations for reporting of incidental findings in clinical exome and genome sequencing. The March 22 recommendations stressed that there is a subset of conditions, genes, and variants for which there is the significant potential for preventing disease morbidity and mortality if identified in the presymptomatic period. Thus, the college recommended that certain genetic findings uncovered by a lab during sequencing be reported back to the physician and patient, even if those findings were unrelated to why the patient was undergoing testing. Commentaries about the ACMG recommendations have raised a number of points and discussion both in favor of and against the recommendations. According to the association, because there is some misinformation and misinterpretation about the recommendations, ACMG has prepared the clarification document to address five issues raised: patient autonomy, incidental findings in children, clinical laboratory considerations, result communication, and prediction of disease likelihood. For example, ACMG notes that it has previously articulated the position that a laboratory should have a clear policy on whether it reports incidental findings resulting from genomic sequencing. “The current recommendation defines a minimal set of incidental…
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