Molecular genetic examination

Modern capabilities of molecular biology allow not only to identify and use specific tumor cell mechanisms, but also analyze the tumor genes in detail. This provides very important clinical information, because it can assist in determining the disease prognosis and scope of treatment. For example, if a patient is diagnosed with early-stage tumor sensitive to estrogen and progesterone and without HER2/neu expression, yet there are other risk factors at the same time, then molecular genetic examination of the tumor tissue (e.g. Oncotype DX or similar tests available in other countries) allows to quantitively estimate the probability of a relapse of the disease and evaluate the feasibility of chemotherapy. Thus, many patients can safely avoid chemotherapy based on objective and reliable data. Molecular genetic assay can also detect some gene mutations in the tumors that make them vulnerable to certain kinds of targeted therapy. This significantly expands the arsenal of medications and often allows to provide help in cases of advanced form of disease. 

This type of examinations develops very rapidly and has amazing perspectives in the future.