Low-risk prenatal testing gives 12 times more false positives than cell-free DNA testing
FROM THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Although some women will still need an invasive procedure to resolve a screen positive test, Dr. Bianchi said most pregnant women, including older women, are going to be reassured with the 100% negative predictive value.
"The younger woman’s benefit will primarily be the reduced false positive rate, because overwhelmingly, she is going to have a normal fetus, so her major benefit is not being made anxious and being sent for all the subsequent testing."
Dr. Bianchi and her coauthors disclosed relationships with Verinata/Illumina, maker of the Verifi cell-free DNA prenatal test. Dr. Bianchi is also on the clinical advisory board of Verinata. Dr. Greene stated that he had no conflict of interest disclosures. The study was sponsored by Illumina, ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01663350.
