Thread: Micro-NMR (MRI)
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Old 03-08-2011, 12:06   #2
PedOncoDoc
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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I work in both oncology and do research in biomarkers. This test looks promising and interesting, but I don't think it has much application in cancer diagnostics outside of a hospital that can support surgical biopsies and/or radiologic-guided (think x-ray or ultrasound pictures showing you where your needle is going) biopsies.

The article is arguing that NMR can be superior to IHC in diagnosing an unknown cancer that is within a limited differential diagnosis based upon location of the presumed primary tumor and pattern of spread of disease. I would argue they should be complimentary and not mutually exclusive of each other. Making the diagnosis is one thing - knowing if there may be benefits of treatment "A" over treatment "B" is an entirely different matter which requires analysis of DNA mutations within a tumor, areas within the tumor that look different from the others as well as looking for specific cellular markers.

Perhaps someone with more wilderness/field medicine training and experience than myself could elaborate on the potential benefit of biomarker analysis in the field ? I just don't see the need for such fine-tuned diagnostics in an area of medicine where the need is to stabilize and maintain/mobilize to the nearest medical station environment.
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Last edited by PedOncoDoc; 03-08-2011 at 12:09.
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