The Outrageous Cost of a Gene Test

Here's an opinion piece in the New York Times by David Agus, a medical oncologist and a professor of medicine and engineering at USC.  It is titled "The Outrageous Cost of a Gene Test," and it is about the Myriad test for the BRCA1 and 2 gene mutations. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/opinion/the-outrageous-cost-of-a-gene-test.html?_r=0
He says the tests could be done in the $100 range, instead of the $4,000+ Myriad Genetics charges.

Second Opinions

According to Nina Totenberg of NPR:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/15/177035299/supreme-court-asks-can-human-genes-be-patented

"Patients are also outraged that they can't get a second opinion on Myriad's test results."

Washington Post Writer Ruth Marcus

Washington Post writer Ruth Marcus offers her opinion that genes should be free from patent restrictions:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ruth-marcus-angelina-jolie-shows-why-brca-testing-access-is-needed/2013/05/21/9ab51a98-c24c-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html

Marcus asserts that Myriad has allowed second opinions.  I challenge this assertion.  It seems to me that this is a half truth at best.
I am going to scour the SCOTUS transcript of the recent hearing to verify this assertion of to debunk it.  I will get back to you on this.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's courageous and moving statement about her double mastectomy:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html?_r=1&

Jolie's,statement includes the following:
"Breast cancer alone kills some 458,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. It has got to be a priority to ensure that more women can access gene testing and lifesaving preventive treatment, whatever their means and background, wherever they live. The cost of testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, at more than $3,000 in the United States, remains an obstacle for many women."