Abstract
In this era of personalisation a patient’s molecular profile plays an
increasingly central role in development and delivery of personalised
medicine. This paper sets out to explore the sociocultural implications
of mainstreaming BRCA genetic testing in the treatment of advanced
ovarian cancer patients, who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.
It draws on ethnographic research conducted by between April-June
2016 in a large tertiary London hospital. Participant observation was
conducted across two sites. For the first two weeks participant observation
was conducted in the traditional genetic testing setting in two
separate clinics. From thereon, participant observation was conducted
in the clinical encounters of treating patients in the ovarian cancer clinic.
In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with medical oncologists
who worked in the clinic. Contributing to the fields of cancer
genetics, personalised medicine and medical material culture studies
in medical anthropology the paper seeks to further discussions about
the interactions and relationships unfolding between medical objects
and subjects across the landscape of cancer care. It highlights the
importance of clinic-based ethnography to examine the complexities
of identities and technologies as they intersect with the themes of suffering
and hope in new and contradictory ways for BRCA-positive
patients with late-stage disease. The paper argues that a BRCA mutation
is not only central to the political economy of hope but takes on a more
materialist nature as it becomes an embodied practice that moves in
and beyond the clinic.
increasingly central role in development and delivery of personalised
medicine. This paper sets out to explore the sociocultural implications
of mainstreaming BRCA genetic testing in the treatment of advanced
ovarian cancer patients, who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation.
It draws on ethnographic research conducted by between April-June
2016 in a large tertiary London hospital. Participant observation was
conducted across two sites. For the first two weeks participant observation
was conducted in the traditional genetic testing setting in two
separate clinics. From thereon, participant observation was conducted
in the clinical encounters of treating patients in the ovarian cancer clinic.
In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with medical oncologists
who worked in the clinic. Contributing to the fields of cancer
genetics, personalised medicine and medical material culture studies
in medical anthropology the paper seeks to further discussions about
the interactions and relationships unfolding between medical objects
and subjects across the landscape of cancer care. It highlights the
importance of clinic-based ethnography to examine the complexities
of identities and technologies as they intersect with the themes of suffering
and hope in new and contradictory ways for BRCA-positive
patients with late-stage disease. The paper argues that a BRCA mutation
is not only central to the political economy of hope but takes on a more
materialist nature as it becomes an embodied practice that moves in
and beyond the clinic.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 449-464 |
| Journal | Anthropology & Medicine.7(1):79-96, 2000 Apr.(27 ref) |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Feb 2020 |
