Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Questions to ask a laboratory before genetic testing | CION Cancer Clinics
Before you pay for an inherited cancer test, ask which genes it reads, how the laboratory checks its quality, what the price covers and who will explain the result. Those four answers tell you more than any brand name. This page gives you the exact questions, when to ask them, and what a clear answer sounds like. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
NG
Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What should you ask a laboratory before you pay?
- Which questions actually separate one lab from another?
- At which stage should each question be asked?
- What do the terms in a lab's brochure mean?
- What does a clear answer sound like, and what should worry you?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things families assume about labs
- Common questions about choosing a genetic testing lab
The short answer
What should you ask a laboratory before you pay?
Ask four things before any money changes hands. Which genes are on the test, how the laboratory decides whether a change matters, what the price covers, and who will explain the result to you. A laboratory that answers all four clearly is usually one you can trust.
Why the questions matter more than the brand
Two reports can carry the same test name and look at very different things. One panel may read a handful of genes. Another may read dozens, most of them unrelated to the cancer in your family. The name on the brochure tells you little. The answers to a few plain questions tell you whether this test fits your family's question at all.
You are allowed to ask
Many families feel awkward questioning a laboratory, especially when a doctor has already suggested one. You are paying, and it is your blood. A good laboratory expects questions and has a person whose job is to answer them. If nobody will speak to you before the sample is taken, treat that as information too.
Ideally a genetic counsellor chooses the test with you. These questions help you check the choice, not replace it.Four areas to cover
Which questions actually separate one lab from another?
Group your questions into four areas. Each one protects you from a different kind of disappointment.
What is being tested
Get the full gene list in writing. Check that the genes linked to your family's cancers are on it.
- Is this an inherited (germline) test on blood or saliva?
- Does it look for large missing pieces of a gene, not just spelling changes?
How quality is checked
Ask which accreditation the laboratory holds and for which test. A lab can be accredited for some tests and not others.
- Is this exact test within the NABL or CAP scope?
- Are positive findings confirmed by a second method?
What the price covers
The quoted figure may or may not include counselling, sample collection, courier and testing of relatives later.
- What happens, and what do I pay, if the sample fails?
- Is there a reduced rate for relatives after a positive result?
Who explains the result
A report without an explanation can do harm. Ask who will sit with you when it arrives.
- Is counselling before and after the test included?
- Will you tell me if my result is reclassified later?
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhen to ask what
At which stage should each question be asked?
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Before the referral is final
Ask your oncologist or counsellor why this test and this laboratory. Ask whether a smaller, targeted test would answer the family's question just as well for less money.
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When you receive the quote
Ask for the gene list, the accreditation scope and a written list of what the price includes. Compare it line by line with any second quote.
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Before the sample is taken
Ask about consent, who will see your data, whether leftover sample is stored or used for research, and whether you can say no to that.
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While you wait
Ask how you will be told the result is ready, and whether it goes to you, your doctor or both. Ask who to call if it is late.
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When the report arrives
Ask for a counselling appointment before you act on anything. Ask whether relatives can be tested for the same change, and at what cost.
Lab language
What do the terms in a lab's brochure mean?
- Panel
- A test that reads a chosen list of genes at once. Bigger is not automatically better.
- Deletion and duplication analysis
- A check for whole missing or doubled pieces of a gene. Some tests leave it out, and some faults are only found this way.
- Confirmation
- Rechecking a positive finding with a second method before it is reported, so a machine error is not mistaken for a fault.
- Variant classification
- How the lab decides whether a change is harmful, harmless or uncertain. Good labs follow the published ACMG rules.
- Accreditation scope
- The exact list of tests an accreditation body has inspected. Ask to see it, not just the logo.
- Reclassification
- A later change in how a variant is labelled as new evidence arrives. Ask whether the lab will tell you.
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Side by side
What does a clear answer sound like, and what should worry you?
A reassuring answer
An answer to question further
"Here is the full gene list, and here is why each gene is on it."
"It covers all the cancer genes."
"This test is within our NABL scope. Here is the certificate."
"We are accredited," with no detail about which tests
"A counsellor will go through the report with you."
"The report is self-explanatory."
"If the sample fails, we recollect at no extra charge."
"That rarely happens," and nothing in writing
"Relatives can be tested for this one change at a lower rate."
"Each relative will need the full panel."
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which laboratory to choose. That depends on the cancers in your family, the genes worth reading, what your insurer or scheme will accept, and how quickly a treatment decision needs the answer. A genetic counsellor or your oncologist weighs those together with you.
It cannot read a report for you
Even the best laboratory writes its report for the doctor who ordered it. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test, not for a search engine or a WhatsApp group.
Who this does not apply to
Most people do not need an inherited cancer test at all. If only one older relative has had cancer and there is no pattern of young or rare cancers, these questions may never arise. If the test you are being offered is on tumour tissue to guide treatment, that is a different test, explained on our targeted therapy pages.
Commonly believed
Four things families assume about labs
"The lab with the most genes is the best lab."
More genes means more chances of an uncertain finding that nobody can act on. The right test reads the genes that fit your family, done well.
"If the doctor sent me there, I cannot ask questions."
Doctors welcome informed families. Asking what the test covers helps them as much as you, because it catches mismatches early.
"A report from abroad is always more reliable."
Several Indian laboratories hold the same international accreditations. What matters is the scope, the method and the counselling, not the country on the letterhead.
"Once the report comes, the lab's job is over."
Good laboratories review variants as evidence grows and can tell your doctor if a label changes. Ask whether yours does this, and how.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about choosing a genetic testing lab
What is the single most important question to ask?
Ask for the gene list and check it against the cancers in your family. A test that leaves out the gene most likely to explain your family's pattern cannot give you a useful answer, however good the laboratory. Your counsellor can check this list with you in a few minutes.
Should I get the question list in writing?
Get the answers in writing, especially the gene list, what the price includes and the policy if the sample fails. A short email or a printed quote is enough. It saves arguments later and makes it easy to compare two laboratories fairly.
Can I ask these questions in Telugu?
You can ask your counsellor or oncologist in Telugu and they can put the questions to the laboratory. Many families find it easier for a doctor to make that call. What matters is that you understand the answers before you consent.
What if the lab will not share its accreditation scope?
Accreditation bodies publish the scope of the laboratories they inspect, so you can often check it yourself. If a laboratory is reluctant to show it, ask your doctor whether another accredited laboratory can run the same test.
Does my data or sample get used for research?
Some laboratories store leftover sample or anonymised data for research. You should be told in the consent form and be able to refuse without it affecting your test. If the form does not say, ask before you sign.
Who gets the report, me or my doctor?
Usually the doctor or counsellor who ordered it, and sometimes you as well. It is better to hear an inherited result with someone who can explain it than to open it alone on a phone late at night. Ask how it will be sent.
How do I compare two quotes?
Put the gene lists side by side first, then the methods, then what each price includes. Only then compare the totals. A cheaper quote that leaves out counselling or deletion analysis may not be cheaper once you add those back.
Can CION help me ask these questions?
Yes. Our oncologists work with genetic counsellors and accredited laboratories and can go through a quote with you. Bring the gene list or brochure you were given, and we will tell you plainly whether it fits your family's question.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is the cost of genetic testing, and how long does it take to get the results?
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- Genetics in Medicine (ACMG/AMP) — Standards and guidelines for the interpretation of sequence variants
- National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories — NABL
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
How to choose a genetic testing laboratoryThe wider decision these questions feed intoNABL and CAP accreditation: what they meanWhat the logos on a report actually certifyComparing two quotes for the same testLine by line, before you look at the totalWhat is included in a genetic test priceThe costs a headline figure can leave out
Talk to us
Want someone to check a lab quote with you?
Send us the gene list or brochure you were given and we will tell you plainly whether it fits your family's question. One helpline serves every CION centre.