News; Molecular Testing Offers Health Benefits (NAPSA)—When it comes to health care, big things are happening at the smallest level. That’s the word from experts who say that medical tests known as molecular diagnostics represent one of the most important steps in medicine in the last century. Molecular diagnostics are tests that detect specific genetic sequences and proteins to help doctors makeindividualized and thus more effective medical decisions for patients, according to the experts at the Society for Women’s Health Research. Experts say measuring the activ- ity of specific genes can provide a more accurate diagnosis for breast cancer and other diseases. For example, statistics show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, making it almost as dangerous asheart disease. Now, thanks to molecular diagnostics, a simple blood test can detect certain gene mutations, enabling physicians to understand future risk for breast cancer. And, in cases of metastatic breast cancer, they can determine how patients will respond to a personal treatmentplan. To learn more about molecular diagnostics, visit www.SWHR.org.
