Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer

We are currently experiencing a fundamental shift in the way in which we approach the characterization of cancer. Never before has the make up of cancer tissues and individual cells been so exhaustively researched and char- terized. We are now capable of producing molecular “fingerprints” that ch- acterize the expression of all known and unknown genes within tumors and their surrounding tissues. More than 30,000 different genes may be measured in each patient’s tumor in a single experiment. Simultaneously, novel therapies that exploit the molecular roadmap have been developed and are now being offered to patients. These novel agents, such as Glivec, Herceptin, Iressa, and others, specifically target individual genes within tumors and can produce d- matic responses in some patients. These drugs are only the forerunners of a coming tidal wave of novel therapeutics that individually target specific m- ecules within cancer cells―more than 300 such agents are currently in phase I or II clinical trials. This is an exciting time for cancer specialists and patients alike. However, if we have learned anything from the past 50 or more years of research into cancer, it is that Lord Beaverbrook, in founding the British national health service in the 1950s, was frighteningly prescient when he defined the primary goal of health care to be “Diagnosis, Diagnosis, Diag- sis. ” Now, more than ever, it is essential that appropriate diagnostic methods and approaches are applied to the selection of patients for treatment.

The growing tide of novel therapeutics that target molecules within a specific individual's cancer cells-over 300 such agents are currently in phase I or II clinical trials-makes it essential to employ appropriate diagnostic methods and approaches when selecting patients for treatment. In Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer: Methods and Protocols, a panel of leading international experts in molecular diagnostic medicine present a diverse collection of readily reproducible methods, derived from their own research for cancer detection. Highlights include FISH-based methodologies currently used in the diagnosis of solid tumors, the molecular diagnosis of genetic abnormalities by DNA array technologies-including sequence-specific oligonucleotide arrays and CGH arrays-and methodologies directed at the detection of epigenetic events and at quantitative gene expression. The authors apply these novel diagnostic procedures to a broad range of cases taken from cytology, solid tumor pathology, hematology, and rare cell detection, paying special attention to potential future developments and the practical problems of dealing with quality control and accuracy. The protocols presented follow the successful Methods in Molecular Medicine™ series format, each one offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Cutting-edge and highly practical, Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer: Methods and Protocols offers pathologists providing molecular diagnostic services and researchers seeking molecularly targeted therapeutic approaches a broad array of today's most powerful methods and techniques.