Risk Detection: How Does Halo Measure Up?

PJ, I've been mulling over your question about how far we want to go to assess risk.  Assuming the problems with Halo can be worked out and it can get a sample from more women, etc., I still have some questions about the whole concept.  If I find out that I'm at risk, what would I do differently?  Most of the controllable risk factors for breast cancer are things that everyone should be doing for overall health.  If finding out that I'm at risk for breast cancer would push me into healthier habits, that would be a good thing.  But breast cancer is a complicated set of diseases, so I'm sure there would always be people who would score low on the risk scale who would later develop breast cancer.  Would hearing they were at low risk encourage some women to avoid mammograms?  Because I was considered at low risk for breast cancer, my doctor was considering putting me on HRT at menopause to reduce heart risks (back in the day when they thought HRT was good for cardiovascular problems).  But before I hit menopause, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I think I would rather see the money involved in research and clinical practice directed towards actual screening tools for early stage cancer rather than risk assessment.