Pediatric cancer

Precision diagnostics for pediatric cancers

For families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis, access to personalized, trustworthy guidance on how to best treat their child’s illness is paramount. Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ testing for childhood malignancy is designed by pediatric oncology experts to evaluate targetable mutations for individualized insights that can confirm diagnosis and guide treatment selection.

1 in 8

1 in 8 patients have a germline variant¹

50+

50+ hereditary cancer syndromes have been described²

33%

33% of patients identified to have germline variants benefit from tailored cancer treatment³

Hereditary cancers

Neuro-oncology

Soft tissue cancer

News and updates

The latest

A smiling person wearing a headscarf looks at a young child, who looks back with a joyful expression.

Genetic Tests Identify Risk of Irinotecan-Induced Toxicity: John Logan Black, M.D.

John Logan Black, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' UGT1A1 tests (Mayo IDs: U1A1Q and UGTFZ) identify genetic variants that increase the risk of potentially life-threatening reactions to irinotecan, a chemotherapy agent.

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Genetic Tests Identify Risk of Irinotecan-Induced Toxicity: John Logan Black, M.D.

John Logan Black, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' UGT1A1 tests (Mayo IDs: U1A1Q and UGTFZ) identify genetic variants that increase the risk of potentially life-threatening reactions to irinotecan, a chemotherapy agent.

Fergus Couch, Ph.D., co-authors new guidelines for interpreting ATM cancer gene variants

Fergus Couch, Ph.D., chair of Mayo Clinic’s Division of Experimental Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, led a team that recently published new National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved guidelines for the interpretation of variants in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) cancer gene. Inherited mutations in ATM have been shown to increase the risk of breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers. Now published by the American Journal of Human Genetics and available for widespread use, Dr. Couch says the guidelines can help clinicians around the world apply the same consistent method of classification to ATM variants.

Hypermethylation Test Guides Lynch Syndrome Care: Megan Hoenig, M.S., M.P.H., CGC

Megan Hoenig, M.S., M.P.H., CGC, explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique hypermethylation analysis (Mayo ID: MLHPB) provides critical adjunct information for managing Lynch syndrome. That genetic condition increases the risk for many kinds of cancer.

Optimizing Cancer Care: ASCO Guidelines for Germline Genetic Testing

PACE/State of FL - The latest ASCO guidelines for selection of germline genetic testing panels for cancer patients.

Chromosomal microarray better informs brain tumor diagnosis

Molecular biomarkers are a critical component in the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors. Robert Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' chromosomal microarray provides more comprehensive and accurate tumor analysis compared with other test methods.

New gene panel enhances brain tumor profiles

Cristiane (Cris) Ida, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' updated neuro-oncology gene panel provides more clinically relevant information for managing adult and pediatric brain tumors.

Hereditary Oncology Testing [Test in Focus]

Wei Shen, Ph.D., explains Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new expert-backed, hereditary oncology panels, which use next-generation sequencing to identify genetic mutations linked to increased cancer risk. By only including clinically significant genes, the panels provide clarity on diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment approaches.

Hereditary oncology: Molecular testing for solid tumors

In this episode of Lab Medicine Rounds, Sounak Gupta, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic, discusses hereditary oncology and the importance of performing molecular testing of solid tumors.