TESTING FOR CANCER
LAB TESTS
A liquid biopsy is the analysis of a patient’s blood for traces of DNA from cancer cells 1 EXOSOMES
Exosomes are tiny sacs that deliver molecules between cancer cells. These can contain proteins and lipids that contribute to tumour growth.
2 MRNA
Messenger ribonucleic acid (MRNA) molecules carry the code needed to produce a cancer cell’s proteins.
3 DNA MUTATIONS
A mutation in a DNA sequence can be detected in a biopsy. Some are known to contribute to cancer and are called cancer-critical genes.
4 FUSION GENES
It’s possible for two separate genes to join together. Some fusion genes cause tumours as they produce more abnormal proteins.
5 CTDNA
CTDNA stands for circulating tumour DNA. When cancer cells die, they release their DNA into the bloodstream.
6 CTCS
Circulating tumour cells (CTCS) are those that have detached from a tumour and can be detected in the blood.