What is a negative result?

MyHealth: STEP ONE provides information about inherited risks for certain genetic conditions. If you have a negative result, it means that we did not find a pathogenic, or likely pathogenic, variant in your DNA within the specific genes that we examined. Another way to understand this is that a negative results means that, among the specific locations in your DNA that we examined, we did not find anything that would suggest an elevated risk of developing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, familial hypercholesterolemia, or Lynch syndrome.
But does a negative result mean that you can’t develop these conditions? Unfortunately, no. This test examined your DNA for specific variants that are known to increase a person’s risk for developing these diseases. However, genetics is only one part of the puzzle. There are many contributing factors that can cause a disease, including other genetic factors not tested for in MyHealth: STEP ONE, environmental factors, and lifestyle factors. Even if you have a negative result, it can be helpful with your healthcare provider or a genetic counselor to better understand how these various factors may affect your future health.