Oncology – Featured

Robert Jenkins, M.D., Ph.D., Stephanie Smoley, CG(ASCP), and Beth Pitel, M.S., explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' enhanced MayoComplete Solid Tumor Panel better profiles tumor genetics. Defining tumor pathogenesis can guide targeted cancer therapy.

Wei Shen, Ph.D., and Rhianna Urban, M.S., CGC, explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' gene panel establishes a diagnosis of Lynch syndrome, which heightens the risk for several cancers. Test results can guide targeted cancer surveillance for patients and their families.

Since 1992, cases of colorectal cancer have been on a slow decline, yet 52,550 people died from it in 2023. At Mayo Clinic, a cutting-edge menu of both germline (inherited genetic alterations) and somatic (tumors due to non-inherited genetic alterations) testing are two critical tools helping to improve targeted treatments for colorectal and other common gastrointestinal cancers.

Dr. Linda Hasadsri’s firsthand encounter with the genetic tests she’s helped develop has provided rare insight into testing quality and implications, enhancing their ability to advocate for the value of testing and infusing their work with deep empathy.

Endometrial cancer affects thousands annually and ranks as the fourth most common cancer among women in the United States. At the forefront of innovative discoveries in endometrial cancer diagnostics are Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology consultants. Sounak Gupta, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., vice chair of Oncology Practice for the Division of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics; Maryam Shahi, M.D., senior consultant for Anatomic Pathology; and Andrea Mariani, M.D., M.S., division chair of Gynecologic Surgery, explore the critical significance of molecular profiling and collaborative efforts driving these innovations, highlighting Mayo Clinic’s revolutionary influence on patient care.

In August of 2021, 28-year-old Mike Knudson, a Twin Cities resident known for his vibrant and active lifestyle, set out on what he anticipated to be an adventurous hiking vacation to the picturesque Glacier National Park in Montana. Little did he know that this journey in nature would be the start of an unexpected life path.

It’s been more than three years since a team of specialists and genetic testing by Mayo Clinic Laboratories helped pinpoint the cause of Alexa Lofaro’s failing health. And today, she says she continues to feel “so much better” than she did when she first came to Mayo Clinic.

After what looked like a blemish turned out to be angiosarcoma, a rare, life-threatening cancer of the blood vessels, Alison O'Neill was put on an aggressive treatment plan and regenerative approach to healing made possible by the pathologist who first diagnosed her cancer.

Offering increased sensitivity and improved accuracy, MayoComplete next-generation testing ensures health care providers understand the distinctive genetic features of their patients’ cancer to make informed decisions to guide their care.