Application of molecular biology in cancer diagnosis and treatment

Application of molecular biology in cancer diagnosis and treatment; role of pathology in molecular biology testing of cancer; application of molecular biology - solutions for clinical laboratories and new services deployed at MEDLATEC General Hospital... are the contents presented by professors, doctors and physicians at the conference Application of molecular biology in diagnosis and treatment organized by MEDLATEC General Hospital on the afternoon of July 25, in Hanoi.

Brachytherapy treatment for patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. (Photo: Duong Ngoc/VNA)

Sharing about the value of molecular biology techniques in diagnosing and treating cancer patients, Associate Professor - Doctor Nguyen Nghiem Luat (Professional Director, MEDLATEC General Hospital) said: "In cancer, there can be many different mutated genes and types of mutations. However, not all mutations in cancer-related genes affect the effectiveness of targeted therapy. Therefore, identifying mutations in cancer-related genes is a decisive factor for successful targeted therapy. Currently, molecular biology techniques, especially Pyrosequencing techniques, can help detect mutations in many types of cancer."

In fact, current research shows that the cause of cancer is due to genetic mutations. Therefore, cancer treatment is not limited to classic methods such as surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, but the achievements of medical science have opened up opportunities for targeted treatment for many types of cancer.

Pyrosequencing gene sequencing technique performed on the new generation molecular biology system PyroMark Q24 (Germany) has outstanding advantages of high mutation detection ability, fast sequencing time, helping to diagnose disease risk, prognosis and effective cancer treatment for patients.

In his presentation on the role of pathology in molecular biology testing of cancer, Associate Professor - Doctor Ta Van To (Head of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Biology - Central Cancer Hospital), said that in 2010, Vietnam had 126,301 new cancer cases, and it is expected to increase to 189,344 cases by 2020. Cancer treatment today is no longer limited to classic methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and endocrine therapy, but with technical advances that ensure targeted treatment for many types of cancer. Targeted treatment requires identifying genetic abnormalities to detect breast cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric stromal tumors, intestinal cancer, etc. Combining classic pathology techniques with molecular biology is extremely important to accurately identify mutations to help target treatment.

At the conference, Dr. Pham Hung Van, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Clinical Microbiology Association, also presented on the application of molecular biology - a solution for clinical laboratories, in which molecular biology is the most useful solution for detecting tuberculosis...

Discussions at the conference revolved around issues of application and outstanding advantages of molecular biology in cancer diagnosis and treatment; targeted therapy methods for cancer patients.

According to statistics, cancer is one of the leading causes of death, taking the lives of about 8 million people worldwide every year./.

According to Vietnam+