Oncology

Dr. Dollahite received world-class cancer treatment from a web of health care organizations, including Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Yet she never left New York; most of her treatment occurred in Ithaca. What made that possible was Cayuga Medical Center’s collaborative relationship with Mayo Clinic. Genetic testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories provided important information about Dr. Dollahite’s cancer.

This "Pathways" program provides an Anatomic Pathology case that includes a history, potential answers, rationale, and relevant references. This case sub-specialty is Genitourinary Pathology.

With the rise of next generation sequencing (NGS) technology, multigene panel testing is expanding so rapidly that clinical practice is racing to keep pace. And questions within genetic tests have expanded along with it, making definitive answers more challenging to come by. Experts in the Genomics Laboratory in Mayo Clinic's Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology work to explain this often misunderstood technology.

This "Specialty Testing" webinar will address practical aspects and pitfalls in the molecular diagnosis of brain tumors.

William Sukov, M.D., provides an overview of the MDM2 gene amplification assay — a test that looks for amplification of the MDM2 gene region on chromosome 12q. He reviews when this test should be ordered, how it compares to other test options, and how its results can affect patient care.

One of the biggest misunderstandings about genetic testing is a perception that once a variant is identified and analyzed thoroughly, using all the best tools available, it can be associated with a specific disease or condition. But many mutations are deemed “variants of unknown significance,” meaning there is no reported (or insufficient) evidence as to whether or not they cause disease.

In the last decade or so, genetic testing has evolved from single-gene Sanger based assays to much more complex next-generation sequencing (NGS) based assays. This incredible technology has facilitated the rapid and high-throughput evaluation of many genes (hundreds of thousands of DNA strands) all at once.

Andre Oliveira, M.D., Ph.D., gives an overview of this testing available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this testing compares to previous testing approaches, and what clinical action can be taken due to the results of this testing.

Sarcomas are malignant tumors that arise in the bone and soft tissue. With numerous subtypes of sarcoma that can have overlapping histological, immunophenotypic, and clinical features, diagnosis can be extremely challenging

This "Pathways" program provides Anatomic and Clinical Pathology cases that include a history, potential answers, rationale, and relevant references. Cases for April include the following sub-specialties: Gastroenterology & Surgical, Gynecological, Gastroenterology, and Neuropathology.

At Mayo Clinic, we offer a comprehensive approach to testing that focuses on the best outcomes for the patient. Our testing method combines molecular and cytogenetic analysis (in addition to a standard morphological and histological assessment) to provide a clear picture of the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options. This approach maximizes the amount of information available, allowing for a tailored treatment plan.

Mayo Clinic pathologists, researchers, and a wide spectrum of allied health staff will be in Los Angeles, California, for the 109th United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology Meeting (USCAP). Visit us at booth #716 on March 2 - 4, 2020 to discuss how our testing can integrate with your practice.

In this month’s “Hot Topic,” Sounak Gupta, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., discusses selecting tissues and other tissue considerations for molecular testing. He also reviews tissue metrics and requirements, which differ based on test platforms. It is important to keep in mind that the details of tissue metrics change over time as they continue to evolve with technology.