Genetic screening for cystic fibrosis is usually unsuccessful.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not available
• D. Only sometimes

Answer: (A)

Genetic screening for cystic fibrosis is limited by the genetic diversity of the CFTR gene. There are hundreds of known mutations, and screening panels typically test only a subset of the most common ones. Because rare, novel, or population-specific mutations may be missed, a negative genetic screen does not reliably rule out CF or carrier status. In practice, diagnosis or confirmation often requires additional testing such as the sweat chloride test or full CFTR sequencing, especially when clinical suspicion remains. This limited sensitivity of mutation panels is why genetic screening for CF is considered usually unsuccessful.