An increasing number of pregnant Australian women are asking their doctors to send their blood samples overseas for the latest Down syndrome test.
The test, available in the United States and China, is 98 per cent accurate and in most cases does away with the need for invasive tests.
About one in 10 pregnant Australians are sending their blood overseas at present, says Associate Professor Howard Slater, who is taking part in a panel discussion at a Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) conference in Melbourne on Friday.
"It seems ludicrous to be sending samples overseas," he says. "The cost started at $US1200 ($A1334) but has fallen to about $US700."
It is likely to become cheaper when Australian laboratories start doing the test in about six months, says Prof Slater, of the Victorian Clinical Genetic Services.
"It seems reasonable that the government should pay a portion of the price."
At present most Australian women opt for a blood test, now an out-dated lab test.
They are advised to have an invasive test if it shows more than a one in 200 chance of Down syndrome.
This means doctors must take a sample from their amniotic fluid or placenta, which is unpleasant, says Prof Slater.
About one in 20 mothers end up having the test.
"What makes it worse is that there is nothing wrong in the vast majority of cases," he says.
The new test does away with a lot of that anguish and expense.
This is a good example of improved patient awareness driving demand for a service.
However, doctors who send samples overseas should take care to interpret the test results, written in medical jargon, to their patients.
"We also recommend that Australian doctors remind their patients that the overseas testing laboratories are not subject to the requirements of the local accreditation system," Prof Slater says.
* Clifford Fram is at the conference courtesy of the RCPA.
