What is the difference between incidental findings and primary diagnostic results in genetic testing?

• A. Incidental findings are unrelated to the clinical reason for testing; primary results explain the clinical indication.
• B. Incidental findings are identical to primary diagnostic results.
• C. Incidental findings are unrelated to the clinical reason for testing, whereas the primary results address the clinical indication.
• D. Primary results may sometimes be incidental findings.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is distinguishing results that answer the reason the test was ordered from results found by chance. In genetic testing, the primary diagnostic results are the findings that directly address the clinical indication—the question the clinician had in mind when ordering the test. Incidental findings are additional results discovered during testing that are not related to that clinical reason.

So, incidental findings are unrelated to why the test was done, while the primary results address the clinical indication. This distinction matters for reporting and counseling, since incidental findings may require separate consent and consideration.

Other statements miss this clear separation: incidental findings are not the same as the primary results, and primary results are not something you would ordinarily expect to be incidental findings.