Cancer Gene Mutations and Fusions

Cancer gene mutations and gene fusions can reveal important information about how a cancer develops, how a tumor is classified, whether an inherited cancer syndrome may be present, and which treatments may be most appropriate. This category provides clear, evidence-based guides to molecular cancer tests used across solid tumors, leukemias, lymphomas, sarcomas, and hereditary cancer evaluation. Explore key biomarkers including KRAS mutations, BRAF mutations, TP53 alterations, BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants, mismatch repair genes, and clinically important gene fusions involving ALK, RET, NTRK, BCR-ABL1, PML-RARA, SS18-SSX, and other cancer-related genes. Our guides explain what positive, negative, pathogenic, uncertain, amplified, rearranged, or fusion-positive results may mean and how molecular findings can influence diagnosis, prognosis, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and genetic counseling. Topics also cover testing methods such as PCR, FISH, immunohistochemistry, and solid tumor NGS panels, along with broader biomarkers including microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden. Whether you are reviewing a molecular pathology report or learning about hereditary cancer risk, these resources help make complex genomic results easier to understand.