Diagnostics and Screening

Somatic DNA mutational analysis has transformed how we characterize existing cancer and select treatments. For example, circulating tumour cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can be used to select targeted therapies, monitor treatment response and detect disease recurrence.1 However, early attempts with targeted sequencing of circulating tumour cfDNA to screen for multiple cancers were unsuccessful because of low sensitivity […]

Dr Isabel T Rubio, Co-Chair of the European Cancer Organisation Primary Prevention Network, joins us to discuss outcomes of this year’s European Cancer Summit and the resolutions to improve screening and early detection of cancer across Europe. Questions How do you expect the cancer burden in Europe to change in the coming years, and is […]

Molecular diagnosis and screening of cancer can be approached either in a broad, high-volume manner, or through using targeted, informed searches for specific genes. Technique selection will be critical in balancing patient benefit against healthcare resource cost, and physicians will need to consider how to prioritise their investigations in order to support accurate and efficacious […]

Following her Award Lecture, ‘Progress and Challenges in Clinical Cancer Genetics’, Judy Garber further discusses this topic at the ASCO 2019 annual meeting. The progress made in genetic testing and the benefits/challenges that remain are covered. Questions 1. What progress has been made in genetic testing for cancer susceptibility among individuals at high genetic risk, […]

Over the last decade, genomics has become an increasingly important part of cancer care. In some tumor types, such as lung cancer and melanoma, genetic profiling for actionable mutations has become standard clinical practice.1,2 The development of novel targeted molecular therapies together with the increased availability of next-generation genomic sequencing has led to an interest […]

Dr Wadie Bahou answers our questions about the role of platelets in tumor biology and metastasis and the significance and usefulness of platelet-related biomarkers in the detection and monitoring of hematologic and oncologic diseases. Questions: 1. What is the role of platelets in tumor biology and metastasis? (0:10) 2. Which platelet-related biomarkers have proven useful […]

It has been clearly established that non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) associated with known molecular drivers (e.g., rearrangement of the ALK gene, or mutations activating the epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] gene) respond favorably to targeted, first-line therapies compared with standard chemotherapy.1,2 The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends EGFR and ALK testing (category 1), as […]

Q. What are the limitations of current methods of detecting biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer? The recommended imaging techniques for the diagnosis of metastases in prostate cancer are 99m-Tc bone scintigraphy for bone metastases and computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for lymph nodes. These two techniques have a very low sensitivity–specificity for detecting […]

The use of nuclear medicine has expanded rapidly in recent years, largely thanks to the emergence of new imaging technologies, such as positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), which have improved the accuracy of detection, localization and characterization of disease. Advances in radiochemistry have also enabled the production […]