Diagnostic test could pinpoint origins of cancers
The test, developed by Pathwork Diagnostics Inc., is part of a growing drive to use genetic analysis and molecular markers to guide the choice of therapies in many disease types. Pathwork’s test was designed to ferret out a key fact that helps determine which treatment would work best for each patient with advanced cancer.
Doctors need to know where in the body the cancer first struck before it spread - whether it was the breast or lungs or some other organ. That’s because the best remedies vary depending on which organ gave rise to the original tumor. A secondary tumor found in the lung may not respond to a lung cancer drug if it is actually an offshoot of breast cancer.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Research, Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.