Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is an umbrella term covering many devasting conditions, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Gregory (Gregg) Day, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique RPD evaluation and new CJD test help pinpoint diagnosis, to guide prognosis and treatment decisions.

David S. Viswanatha, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new assay provides rapid, definitive diagnosis of VEXAS, a recently identified syndrome affecting older men. Early diagnosis is key to managing the syndrome, which severely impacts multiple organs and blood.

Maryam Shahi, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique biomarker test (TEST ID: AFOLR) determines which patients would likely benefit from a new treatment for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. Disease recurrence is common, and about one-third of patients respond to the new medication.

Maria Alice Willrich, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new assay provides therapeutic drug monitoring of risankizumab, or RISA. Test results help guide care for patients with plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease.

Alicia Algeciras-Schimnich, Ph.D., discusses Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ new noninvasive plasma biomarker assay for Alzheimer’s disease, an accessible, highly accurate testing option for individuals age 50 and above who are experiencing mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Positive test results can confirm amyloid beta pathology and facilitate access to disease-modifying therapies.

Bobbi Pritt, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new assay identifies less-common tick-borne bacteria in whole blood. The assay is recommended when tick-borne bacterial infection is suspected but standard testing is unrevealing.

Linda Hasadsri, M.D., Ph.D., and Huong T. Cabral, M.S., C.G.C., explain how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' targeted test panel facilitates accurate diagnosis of hereditary pancreatitis, which heightens the risk for pancreatic cancer. Test results can guide cancer monitoring for patients and their families.

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.

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In this test-specific episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Paul Jannetto, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' nicotine testing benefits patients in smoking cessation programs and other settings.

Anne Tebo, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new serum tests help overcome the challenges of diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis, or PBC. Test results can guide clinical care for patients with this life-threatening autoimmune liver disease.

David Murray, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' MASSFIX Quantitation assay provides next-generation screening for M-proteins, which are associated with multiple myeloma and other diseases. The assay better quantitates the blood proteins, for improved patient care and simpler test ordering.

Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' unique assay identifies pregnant women at risk of developing preeclampsia with severe features. Test results can guide clinical management, to safeguard maternal and neonatal health.