Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Changing your mind about a genetic test | CION Cancer Clinics
Agreeing to genetic counselling or testing is not a one-way door. You can withdraw at almost any point before your result is given, and sometimes after, without giving a reason. This page explains what withdrawal means at each stage, how to actually do it, and what it cannot undo once a result already exists. At CION Cancer Clinics in Hyderabad, our oncologists review your family history with you and guide you to the right genetic counselling and testing.
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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
- Can I stop genetic testing after I have already agreed to it?
- What withdrawal means at each stage
- How to actually withdraw from testing
- Consent and withdrawal, in plain language
- Common reasons, and whether they still allow you to stop
- What withdrawing does not undo
- Four things people assume about withdrawing
- Common questions about withdrawing from testing
Your decision, at any point
Can I stop genetic testing after I have already agreed to it?
Yes, at any point up until the result is given, and in some cases even after. Agreeing to counselling or to a sample being taken is not a contract you are locked into. You are allowed to change your mind, and a properly run clinic will not pressure you to continue.
Why clinics build this in on purpose
Genetic testing is unusual among medical tests because the result cannot be un-known once you have it, and it can affect people beyond you. Consent has to stay genuinely voluntary the whole way through, which is why you are asked again at more than one stage rather than only once at the start. A counsellor checking in again before the sample is taken is not doubting your earlier answer; it is simply how this particular process is meant to run.
What actually happens if you withdraw
If you withdraw before the sample is taken, nothing further happens. If you withdraw after the sample is taken but before testing begins, the sample can usually be destroyed on request. If testing has already started, ask exactly what stage it is at, since some steps cannot be reversed once begun. Either way, nobody at the clinic will ask you to justify the change of heart or try to talk you back into continuing.
Withdrawing is not treated as a strange request. It is written into the consent process for exactly this reason.Where you are in the process
What withdrawal means at each stage
The options narrow the further along you are.
Before the sample is taken
You simply do not proceed. Nothing is recorded beyond the conversation you already had with your counsellor.
After the sample, before testing
The sample can usually be destroyed on your request, though ask the lab to confirm this in writing so you have a record.
During testing
Some steps cannot be undone once started. Your counsellor can tell you exactly what has already happened to your sample.
After the result exists
You can decline to be told it, or ask that it be given to a relative or doctor instead, though the finding itself now exists.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistIf you decide to stop
How to actually withdraw from testing
Say it plainly, to your counsellor or the clinic
You do not need a reason. "I would like to stop" is a complete and sufficient sentence.
Ask what stage your sample is at
This tells you whether it can still be destroyed, or whether testing has already progressed too far to stop.
Ask for written confirmation
A short note confirming your sample was destroyed, or that testing was halted, is reasonable to request and keep.
You can come back later
Withdrawing now does not close the door permanently. You can restart the process whenever you are ready, with the same or a different counsellor.
Terms that come up
Consent and withdrawal, in plain language
- Informed consent
- Agreeing to a test after understanding what it involves, not simply signing a form.
- Withdrawal of consent
- Formally taking back your agreement to continue, at any stage before testing is complete.
- Sample destruction
- The laboratory disposing of your blood or saliva sample on request, rather than storing or testing it further.
- Right not to know
- The choice to be tested but not told the result, or to have it given to someone else you name instead.
- Re-referral
- Starting the process again later, treated as a fresh appointment rather than a resumption of the old one.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Why people change their minds
Common reasons, and whether they still allow you to stop
Reason given
Can you still withdraw
Worried about the effect on marriage prospects
Yes, at any point before the result is disclosed
Family pressure to have the test in the first place
Yes, this is exactly what withdrawal exists for
Changed mind about insurance implications
Yes, raise it before the sample is even taken if possible
Result is already known and shared with family
No, a known result cannot be un-known, though further steps are still your choice
Being straight with you
What withdrawing does not undo
If a relative has already been told a fault runs in the family because of your earlier test, withdrawing your own further testing does not remove that knowledge from them. Withdrawal only controls what happens to you and your own sample from this point forward.
It does not affect your future care
Declining or stopping genetic testing has no bearing on the cancer treatment or general medical care you receive. Nobody at CION treats a withdrawn test as a mark against you, and it is never mentioned as a condition of anything else. Your oncologist continues planning your treatment on the tumour itself, exactly as they would have with a completed test that came back negative.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you exactly which stage your own sample has reached today, since that depends on your specific clinic and laboratory. Call and ask directly, and expect a straight answer rather than a vague one.
If you are unsure whether to continue, ask for a pause rather than a full withdrawal. Most clinics can hold a sample while you think it over.Commonly believed
Four things people assume about withdrawing
"Once I have signed the consent form, I cannot back out."
Signing a consent form starts the process; it does not remove your right to stop it. Consent has to stay ongoing, not one-time, throughout genetic testing.
"Withdrawing will annoy my doctor or counsellor."
A properly trained counsellor expects some patients to withdraw and will not treat it as a personal inconvenience. It is a routine, built-in part of the process.
"If I stop now, I will lose the money already spent."
Charges depend on exactly what work has already been done, such as whether the sample has reached the laboratory. Ask directly rather than assuming the full amount is lost.
"I have to give a reason to be allowed to withdraw."
You do not. "I have changed my mind" is enough on its own, and no explanation beyond that is required.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about withdrawing from testing
Can I withdraw after the sample has already been sent to the lab?
Often yes, if testing has not yet started on it. Contact the clinic straight away and ask them to confirm with the laboratory whether the sample can still be destroyed unused.
Do I need to explain why I am withdrawing?
No. You are entitled to withdraw without giving a reason. If you do want to talk it through, your counsellor is happy to, but it is never a requirement.
Can I withdraw on behalf of a family member?
No. Withdrawal is a personal decision the person being tested has to make themselves, in the same way consent itself had to come from them. A parent can withdraw on behalf of a young child they consented for.
Will withdrawing be recorded on my medical file?
Usually a brief note is kept, mainly so future staff know not to assume a result exists that was never generated. It is not treated as a flag against you.
What if I want the result destroyed after already seeing it?
A result you have already seen cannot be unseen, and most clinics keep a clinical record of it. You can still ask that it not be shared further, and discuss this with your counsellor.
Can I change my mind about who receives the family letter?
Yes. Sharing the family letter is entirely your choice at any point, separate from whether you withdrew from testing itself. Tell your counsellor if you want to change your earlier decision.
Does withdrawing count against me if I need cancer treatment later?
No. Genetic testing and cancer treatment are handled separately, and a withdrawn test has no bearing on the care you receive for anything else.
How do I formally withdraw?
Tell your counsellor or call the clinic directly and say you wish to stop. Ask for written confirmation of what happens next. Call the CION helpline if you are unsure who to contact; one helpline serves every centre.
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
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
- NHS — Predictive genetic tests for cancer risk genes
- MedlinePlus Genetics — What is informed consent?
- Cancer Research UK — Genetic testing for cancer risk genes
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
Informed consent for genetic testingWhat you agreed to in the first placeDeciding on secondary findingsAnother choice you control during the same processGetting a second opinion on genetic adviceIf uncertainty, not withdrawal, is the real issueWhat a genetic counsellor doesWho to talk to about pausing or stopping
Talk to us
Thinking about pausing or stopping your testing?
Tell us where you are in the process and we will explain your options plainly, with no pressure either way. One helpline serves every CION centre.