Unit Overview: What are Advanced Diagnostics?
What Are Advanced Diagnostics?
Welcome to Advanced Diagnostics. In this unit we will cover the advanced tools used for diagnostics in two main categories: cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. While traditional diagnostics give oncologists basic information, advanced diagnostic tests give more specific information and can answer questions like:
- What are the genetic mutations driving your cancer?
- How metabolic active are your tumours and which ones should be the focus of your treatment?
- How effective are the treatments you’re receiving and are they working?
While cancer diagnosis used to be limited to understanding the size, shape, and location of cancers, advanced diagnostics give more precise information which enables your oncologist to give you more accurate and effective treatment options.
Advanced diagnostic tools, like PET CT scans, show your oncologist the most metabolically active sites of your cancer while genetic testing tells you the precise genetic mutations driving cancerous cells. This information allows your oncologist to understand precisely what is driving your cancer and where to focus your treatment.
This difference is significant and cannot be under-emphasized. Unlike standard diagnostics which give your oncologist general information allowing them to approach your treatment through trial and error, advanced diagnostics, combined with personalized research, provide your oncologist with the information they need to select the right treatments for you, the first time.
In this unit we’ll help you understand the following advanced diagnostic tools:
Cancer Diagnostics:
- Genetic testing
- Tumour DNA Testing
- RNA Expression Testing (overexpression testing)
- Inherited Mutations Testing
- PET scans
Treatment Monitoring:
- Liquid Biopsies