Pathology

Image: This is a malignant melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer. Melanomas, which arise from dysplastic nevi tend to be asymmetrical, with poorly defined borders and often with varied coloration (Photo courtesy of Skin Cancer Foundation).

Phenocopies Found in Melanoma-Prone Families

Melanoma, but no other cancers, is more common in the non-carriers in these families compared to the normal population. The phenomenon whereby non-carriers of a specific mutation copy the phenotype (in this case melanoma) from their mutation-carrying relatives is known as phenocopy. More...
19 Dec 2017

Blood Test May Predict Recurrence of Breast Cancer

The use of measuring circulating tumor cells (CTC) blood test in a new way has been explored. Currently, the test is FDA-approved for use by physicians to monitor response to treatment in patients with advanced breast, colon or prostate cancer, but not early stage cancer. More...
19 Dec 2017

Image: The Quantifiler Trio DNA quantification kit (Photo courtesy of Thermo Fisher Scientific).

New Assay Predicts Cancerous Pancreatic Lesions

A new simple molecular test has been developed to detect chromosomal abnormalities, biomarkers known as telomere fusions, in pancreatic tumor specimens and pancreatic cyst fluids. This assay may help predict the presence of high-grade or invasive pancreatic cancers requiring surgical intervention. More...
18 Dec 2017

Image: Peripheral bloods smear showing five eosinophils, from a patient with eosinophilia (Photo courtesy of the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto).

Eosinophilic Biomarker Found for Aggressive IBD

Peripheral blood eosinophilia (PBE) in inflammatory bowel disease is associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) and active disease. Little data exist on the long-term impact of PBE on disease course. More...
14 Dec 2017

Five New Genes Identified for ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord, with concurrent muscle atrophy and is typically fatal within 2–5 years from diagnosis. More...
13 Dec 2017

$Image: A diagram of the human prostate gland, roughly the size and shape of a walnut, bisected by the urethra. The locations of each of an individual\'s 13 biopsy cores are indicated. Information obtained via single-cell sequencing from cells sampled from each core indicates the likely location of a cancerous tumor (dotted lines encompassing cores 2, 3 and 6) (Photo courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory).$