Yun Gong
MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA
Title: The role of cytology in the era of molecular medicine
Biography
Biography: Yun Gong
Abstract
Genomic alterations are known to play an important role in cancer initiation and progression. Molecular tests have been increasingly incorporated into pathology practice. Common applications include assisting pathology diagnosis, predicting prognosis and therapeutic response, and identifying patient’s eligibility for targeted therapy. The lecture will outline the role of molecular tests in the diagnosis of HPV-related cancer, thyroid cancer, hematopietic malignancies, detection of tumor of unknown origin, and management of lung cancer, breast cancer and other solid tumors.
To successfully conduct molecular tests, a high quality tumor sample is imperative. The lecture covers practical experience of MD Anderson and covers the strategies regarding how to use small and limited FNA samples for making the most informative diagnosis and yet preserve tumor tissues for cytogenetic and genomic tests that, in turn, facilitate diagnosis and targeted therapies.