A new model shows that universal preventive genomic screening for multiple conditions in early adulthood could be highly cost-effective in a single-payer health care system, according to a study … [Read more...]
INSIDE THE DIAGNOSTICS INDUSTRY
The Practice of Early Gestational Diabetes Screening Evaluated
March 26, 2019
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects between 2 percent and 10 percent of pregnancies. Experts say there has been a … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
New Lab-Based, ER Protocol Cuts Invasive Procedures in Febrile Infants
March 26, 2019
A prediction rule can identify febrile infants at low risk for serious blood infections (SBIs) using urinalysis, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and procalcitonin levels, according to a study … [Read more...]
INDUSTRY TRENDS
Laboratory Initiation of Cascade Genetic Testing Spurs Uptake
March 25, 2019
A laboratory-initiated, online effort to reach cancer patients' relatives coupled with discounted genetic tests can increase rates of cascade testing, according to a study published in the January … [Read more...]
PRECISION MEDICINE
Exome Sequencing Improves Diagnosis of Fetal Structural Anomalies
March 15, 2019
Prenatal diagnostics have evolved from conventional cytogenetic analysis to increasingly chromosomal microarray analysis, within the last 10 years. While whole-exome sequencing (WES) has shown utility … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Blood Markers Alone Okay For Surveillance With Some Pediatric Cancers
March 4, 2019
Tumor markers alone may be adequate to monitor for relapse among children and teens with malignant germ cell tumors (MGCTs), according to a study published online Dec. 21, 2018 in the Journal of … [Read more...]
TOP OF THE NEWS
Genetic Risk of Prostate Cancer Underestimated; Testing Guidelines Miss Men With Elevated Prostate Cancer Risk
February 25, 2019
Neither guideline eligibility nor Gleason scores are reliable for predicting prostate cancer risk due to pathogenic germline variants, according to a study published Feb. 7 in JAMA Oncology. The … [Read more...]
TESTING TRENDS
Current Metal Sensitivity Testing Not Adequate for Diagnosing Immune-Related Knee Replacement Failure
February 25, 2019
Metal sensitivity test results, including lymphocyte transformation testing (LTT), are insufficient to diagnose knee replacement failure due to an immune reaction, according to a study published Feb. … [Read more...]
TESTING STRATEGY
New Studies Question Utility of Gene Expression Testing for Cancers With Unknown Primary Site, Low-Risk Breast Cancer
February 25, 2019
Gene expression profiling has been making inroads into clinical cancer care, with application in cancer classification, most notably with breast cancer. Two recent studies are calling into question … [Read more...]
EMERGING TESTS
Study Showing PGx Testing Improves Depression Outcomes, Key to Myriad’s Reimbursement Strategy
February 18, 2019
Pharmacogenomic testing (PGx) provides clinically meaningful improvement in response and remission rates for difficult-to-treat depression patients over standard of care, according to a study … [Read more...]
