A liquid biopsy is a medical test that detects signs of disease, such as cancer, in a sample of body fluid—most often blood. Unlike a traditional biopsy, which involves removing a small tissue sample with a needle or during surgery, a liquid biopsy is minimally invasive and can be done with a simple blood draw. …
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Polymerase chain reaction (commonly called PCR) is a laboratory technique used to produce millions of copies of a specific DNA segment. This process allows doctors to detect even very small amounts of genetic material in a sample. PCR is widely used in medicine, including in pathology, to diagnose infections, identify cancer-related mutations, and help guide …
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JAK2 (Janus kinase 2) is a gene that provides instructions for making a protein involved in how cells grow, divide, and respond to signals from the immune system. JAK2 is part of a family of related genes that also includes JAK1, JAK3, and TYK2. These genes all produce proteins that help cells communicate using a …
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In a molecular pathology report, the word rearrangement refers to a change in the DNA structure within a cell. DNA is usually organized into long strands called chromosomes, each containing many genes. A rearrangement happens when a piece of a chromosome breaks off and attaches somewhere else, either on the same chromosome or another chromosome. …
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In situ hybridization (often abbreviated as ISH) is a specialized laboratory test that enables pathologists to detect specific pieces of genetic material (DNA or RNA) directly within the cells of a tissue sample. The phrase “in situ” means “in its original place,” and “hybridization” refers to the way a probe (a small piece of complementary …
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