Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer

The aims of Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer are to introduce scientists and physicians working in the field of diagnostics to the area of cancer molecular pathology and to highlight the possibilities of its application to the cancer physician in the clinic. The degree of molecular biological expertise required should be minimal, although those with more experience may also be able to benefit from the book. All of the authors have considerable practical experience in the method they describe and are working predominantly in the setting of the cancer clinic. As such, the book pulls together a number of te- niques that are already being applied to a wide range of malignancies. Mo- over, this field will continue to expand exponentially as further research leads to a greater understanding of the molecular basis of cancer. Detection of the changes to the DNA or RNA code within a diseased cell often provides pathological information for the diagnosis, prognosis, and m- agement of the disease. Such DNA-related analysis is primarily the role of molecular pathology. Methods to detect these alterations are being refined and are evolving from the research to the diagnostic laboratory. One of the single most powerful techniques in this new branch of pathology has been the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to which much of this book is devoted.