MUSC presents statewide MyDNA SC screening program, seeks participants to reach 100,000 goal

Amy Jackson, director of operations for the genetics and genomics service line at the Medical University of South Carolina, told the City of Charleston Health and Wellness Advisory Committee on Jan. 8 that MUSC is running a statewide genomic screening program called MyDNA SC and is pressing to enroll more people.

The program, Jackson said, “screens for the CDC’s tier 1 conditions,” specifically hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1/2), Lynch syndrome (hereditary colon cancer) and familial hypercholesterolemia (hereditary high cholesterol). Jackson said the initiative seeks to enroll 100,000 South Carolinians by Jan. 31, 2026; she added the program is also pushing to reach 75,000 participants by the end of the current month.

Jackson gave enrollment and outcome figures: 67,550 people have enrolled to date and 709 participants have been identified with a hereditary risk. Of those, 468 were identified with cancer-related hereditary risks and 238 with familial hypercholesterolemia. She said about 65% of people who screened positive have pursued clinical interventions or at least genetic counseling through MUSC.

Participation is free, Jackson said, and MUSC provides a free genetic counseling visit to anyone who screens positive. The program partners with Helix, a genomics laboratory company, Jackson said, and uses a consent process; she said identifying information that is treated as a patient identifier is removed from data that is distributed to the research platform. Jackson warned participants that, while health insurance is protected under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, a positive result could affect life insurance eligibility or rates—a risk noted in the program consent document.

Jackson described enrollment logistics: anyone 18 or older can sign up; people need not already be MUSC patients. Enrollment is processed through MyChart. Sample collection options include at-home saliva kits, MUSC lab locations, or participating clinics; Jackson said results typically appear in MyChart in about 60 days.

Jackson offered community outreach materials and said MUSC can supply brochures, an outreach toolkit and staff to attend local events for tabling or sample collection. She asked local partners to share events and said MUSC will provide a list of upcoming Lowcountry events and a link with ongoing updates.

Committee members asked about diversity of participation and recruitment at events. Jackson acknowledged that current participation skews toward white women ages 50–60 and said MUSC is actively trying to diversify enrollment and reach underrepresented groups. Committee members discussed event logistics—Jackson noted saliva collection requires no food or drink within 30 minutes, so at events with food she often enrolls people and mails them at-home kits.

The committee agreed to share MUSC outreach materials in city newsletters and local channels; Jackson said she would send contact information, event lists and materials for distribution.