Public awareness raised by Jolie dilemma

Genetic testing first attracted the attention of the Chinese public when Angelina Jolie opted for radical surgery after tests indicated she was genetically disposed to certain cancers. The news prompted widespread debate and also provided publicity for the country's genetic-testing industry.

In 2015, tests indicated that the US actress and campaigner had a defective BRCA1 gene. When healthy, the gene acts as a tumor suppressor, but faulty genes are thought to actively promote the growth of cancer cells.

Jolie announced that she had undergone a double mastectomy and had both ovaries removed because the presence of the faulty gene suggested she had an 80 percent chance of contracting breast cancer and a 40 percent chance of ovarian cancer.