DNA test results and medical problems?

[dna watcher]

I must admit that my wife and I are a little perplexed that we have not received her mtDNA test results after waiting since April and I was wondering how medical problems might effect the test results, as she has had several serious illnesses and much in the way of CT-scans, PET-scans, and chemotherapy, plus tons of medications.

I mean, I was right there while she did her cheek swaps and I didn't see anything wrong with the way she used the test swaps. However, she does not produce much in the way of saliva because of one of the illnesses. So, does all this medical stuff effect the results in any way?

She is getting very impatient with no results and asked me to see if we could get the money back. However, I am willing to wait longer if need be. What is the record waiting for test results I wonder?

[jaken24]

You can wait for many months, depending on how difficult it is to determine your outcome. For example some Haplogroups can be determined by HVR1 alone, while some require specific coding area tests. Also, you may have an unusual mutation that causes the lab to retest to ensure accuracy.
My results were delayed for all of the above reasons, I'm glad they took the time to give me a DEFINITE result.

Jeffrey Stewart

[breakwater70]

I agree that it's best that the lab is sure of the outcome. However, if there is a problem with your sample, FTDNA should update your webpage right away, instead of leaving you hanging, wondering what happened. My HVR2 results had to be ran again, but no one updated my webpage to tell me this until 4 weeks after the due date (I had to call and ask them myself). Although waiting for a re-run of the test due to ambiguous results might make you wait longer than usual, FTDNA should make you aware of this right away.

[Jim Barrett]

With a few 100 or maybe a few 1000 kits being tested per month I sure they have nothing better to do than to update your "ESTIMATED" due date. Estimated is the key word here. FTDNA did not tell you your results would be provided by a given date. Maybe they should add a couple of extra months so you wouldn't get upset. Maybe they should do like some of the other companies and not even give you an estimated date. How many years have you gone without knowing the results? Will a few more months make any difference?

One member of one of my groups waited from Feb. to July to get the "Correct" results. Sit back and relax. There are more important things in your life, I hope, than the results of a mtDNA test.

[breakwater70]

That would be fine and dandy, if you were contributing to a project and did not pay any money to be a part of the project. But this is a commercial business. They are not doing anyone a favor by giving them the results. People are paying good money for this Service, and that has to be remembered by FTDNA. FTDNA is making a profit by performing these services, and should keep in mind that there are other companies who are competing for businesss....and I'll say it again.... Business. Updating a webpage does not take that much time, and FTDNA has repeatedly said that they have hired more people. Many people are dependant on the 'estimated time' because they use the data for family projects and reunions, and it would help to know when the results will be available for you to use for these purposes. As I have said, it is OK if FTDNA cannot get a proper reading and has to re-run the test....just keep us informed of these things....

[Jim Denning]

You can wait for many months, depending on how difficult it is to determine your outcome. For example some Haplogroups can be determined by HVR1 alone, while some require specific coding area tests. Also, you may have an unusual mutation that causes the lab to retest to ensure accuracy.
My results were delayed for all of the above reasons, I'm glad they took the time to give me a DEFINITE result.

Jeffrey Stewart

thats why i tell people to do as much as they can to start i did piece meal and the wait can be evil lol

[dna watcher]

Inconclusive answer to the question

While there were some nice responses to my question and some not so nice, I will try to answer my question so that others asking the question may possibly benefit. My question was not so much about the estimated time due, but more so about how medical problems affect the results and then consequently the due date of the test.

My wife had a mtDNA test and she has three illnesses which affect the lymph nodes, abdomen, nerves and muscles of her body. She has had numerous CT scans, PET scans, and chemotherapy. One source says that radiation therapy, while not the same thing as her various scans, works by damaging the DNA cells, however one abdominal CT scan is seen as the equivalent of 500 chest x-rays or 2 rads of radiation per CT scan. And a Pet scan is done by injecting radioactive chemicals into the body and then a scan takes place. My wife has probably had at least six or seven of these scans, plus other type scans. Chemotherapy drugs affect cell division or DNA synthesis and function in some way. Plus, all cancer drugs are considered carcinogenic by doctors. One chemo drug she had was considered so powerful, that the medical personnel took great pains to not drop it on the floor, as they stated that it would eat a hole in the floor, which is probably an overstatement, but one can see how powerful the drug was. I won't even tell you about all of the prescription drugs she has taken, some extremely powerful drugs.

If one can not see that these things can possibly affect the DNA in the body, in such huge amounts of radiation and drugs, and not somehow mess up the test results and delay results, then they should look further into the possible effects on the body. One source said, but I feel they used a very poor example, that it was a theoretical possiblity to have a somatic mutation that might affect the DNA test. While it may cause a somatic mutation, it would not cause a germ line mutation that would be passed on to children born in the future.

So, from what I have read, it appears that these medical things can possibly effect the results of a DNA test, but how I do not know. And what that would ultimately do to the test results, I do not know. And this is what I really wanted to know in asking my original question! I know that my response does not give a conclusive answer, but I hope that it spurs some thought about the matter and maybe others can come up with something more conclusive. Thank you!