ONCOLOGY

In this episode of “Answers From the Lab,” host Bobbi Pritt, M.D., chair of the Division of Clinical Microbiology at Mayo Clinic, is joined by William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories. They discuss current events including dengue outbreaks, new colon cancer screening technology, and insurance coverage of innovative lab tests.

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.

After immigrating to the United State and becoming a U.S. citizen at the age of 18, Holocaust survivor Kurt Glover-Ettrich chose to give back to his new homeland by serving a 30-year career in the U.S. military. Today, as a Mayo Clinic volunteer, Kurt is giving back in new ways for the 22 years of regular care, treatment, and laboratory testing he’s received in response to the prostate cancer diagnosis that first brought him to Mayo Clinic.

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.

PACE / State of FLThis month’s “Virtual Lecture” recognizes the importance of tracking tumor cell development and the heterogeneity in cancer cell growth dynamics at the clonal resolution and reveals features of tumor cell metastasis.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ MayoComplete Melanoma Panel is a comprehensive test that better informs the prognosis and treatment of melanoma. It can be applied to unusual tumors that haven’t yet been identified as melanoma as well as melanomas with complex molecular structures.

Mayo Clinic Laboratories has developed a new colorectal cancer test, the MayoComplete Colorectal Cancer Panel (Mayo ID: MCCRC), in response to the latest recommendations for testing and treatment from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In this test-specific episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Wei Shen, Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new breast cancer panel provides rapid results to guide critical decisions about treatment and screening.

In this “Hot Topic,” Joshua Bornhorst, Ph.D., assistant professor of laboratory medicine and pathology at Mayo Clinic, reviews biomarker component testing for hepatocellular carcinoma, explains the GALAD score, and explores GALAD score testing at Mayo Clinic Laboratories.