Evidence-Based Supplement & Herb Guides

PIK3CA Mutation Test: Breast Cancer, Solid Tumors, PI3K Pathway, and Mutation Meaning

Understand PIK3CA mutation testing in breast cancer and solid tumors, including PI3K pathway biology, hotspot variants, liquid biopsy, and targeted treatment meaning.

A PIK3CA mutation test looks for activating changes in the gene that encodes the p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K, a central part of the...

PML-RARA Fusion Test: Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Gene Fusion, Diagnosis, and Monitoring

Understand PML-RARA fusion testing in acute promyelocytic leukemia, including urgent diagnosis, ATRA/ATO treatment, RT-PCR methods, molecular remission, and MRD monitoring.

A PML-RARA fusion test detects the defining molecular abnormality of classic acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a medical emergency that can cause life-threatening bleeding early...

PMS2 Mutation Test: Lynch Syndrome, Colon Cancer, Mismatch Repair, and Variant Meaning

Understand what a PMS2 mutation test means, how it relates to Lynch syndrome and mismatch repair, why pseudogene interference matters, and what positive, VUS, or negative results may mean for cancer risk and follow-up.

A PMS2 mutation test looks for inherited or acquired changes in the PMS2 gene, one of the genes responsible for DNA mismatch repair. A...

PTEN Mutation Test: Tumor Suppressor Gene, Cancer Risk, Pathway Alteration, and Meaning

Learn how to interpret PTEN mutation testing, including germline PHTS results, tumor-only PTEN loss, PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway effects, cancer risk, VUS findings, assay limits, and follow-up.

A PTEN mutation test looks for changes in the PTEN tumor suppressor gene, but the meaning depends strongly on what sample was tested. A...

RET Fusion Test: Lung Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Gene Fusion, and Result Meaning

Learn what a RET fusion test detects in lung and thyroid cancer, how RNA and DNA testing differ, what positive or negative results mean, and how RET fusions can guide targeted therapy and resistance testing.

A RET fusion test looks for an abnormal rearrangement that joins part of the RET gene to another gene, creating a continuously active growth...

RUNX1 Mutation Test: AML, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Mutation Status, and Prognosis

Understand RUNX1 mutation testing in AML and MDS, including modern WHO/ICC classification, ELN risk, prognosis, somatic versus germline findings, VAF limits, MRD context, and follow-up.

A RUNX1 mutation test looks for changes in RUNX1, a transcription-factor gene that helps blood stem cells mature normally. Acquired RUNX1 mutations occur in...

SMARCB1/INI1 Loss Test: Rhabdoid Tumor, Sarcoma, IHC Loss, and Interpretation

Learn how SMARCB1/INI1 loss testing is interpreted in rhabdoid tumors and sarcomas, what complete nuclear loss means, which tumors can share the pattern, when molecular or germline testing is needed, and how results may affect treatment.

A SMARCB1/INI1 loss test usually refers to immunohistochemistry (IHC) that checks whether tumor-cell nuclei retain the INI1 protein made by the SMARCB1 gene. Complete...

Solid Tumor NGS Panel Test: Tumor Mutations, Gene Fusions, Copy Number Changes, and Molecular Results

A solid tumor next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel analyzes many cancer-related genes at once to identify mutations, gene fusions, copy-number changes, and sometimes genomic biomarkers...

SS18-SSX Fusion Test: Synovial Sarcoma, Gene Fusion, and Molecular Diagnosis

Learn how SS18-SSX fusion testing confirms synovial sarcoma, how RNA NGS, FISH, RT-PCR, and fusion-specific IHC differ, what positive or negative results mean, and how the diagnosis affects modern treatment.

An SS18-SSX fusion test looks for the defining molecular abnormality of synovial sarcoma: a rearrangement involving SS18 on chromosome 18 and an SSX gene...

TFE3 Fusion Test: Kidney Cancer, Soft Tissue Tumor, Translocation Marker, and Result Meaning

Learn how TFE3 fusion testing classifies kidney and soft-tissue tumors, how IHC, FISH, and RNA NGS differ, what positive or negative results mean, and why the fusion partner and tumor context matter.

A TFE3 fusion test looks for rearrangements of the TFE3 transcription-factor gene on chromosome Xp11. These fusions define or strongly support several uncommon tumor...

TP53 Mutation Test in Leukemia High-Risk Blood Cancer, Mutation Status, and Prognosis

Understand what a TP53 mutation test means in AML and MDS, including multi-hit status, prognosis, treatment implications, transplant planning, and germline versus somatic findings.

A TP53 mutation test looks for changes in TP53, a tumor suppressor gene that helps damaged cells stop dividing or undergo cell death. In...

TP53 Mutation Test Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, Tumor Suppressor Gene, Cancer Risk, and Prognosis

Learn what a germline TP53 mutation test means for Li-Fraumeni syndrome, including cancer risks, whole-body MRI surveillance, treatment considerations, and family testing.

A germline TP53 mutation test is used to evaluate Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) and the broader spectrum of heritable TP53-related cancer predisposition. TP53 is a...

Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) Test Genomic Score, Mutation Load, and Immunotherapy Marker Meaning

Understand a tumor mutational burden (TMB) result, including mut/Mb scoring, TMB-high meaning, the 10 mut/Mb cutoff, immunotherapy relevance, and important assay limitations.

A tumor mutational burden (TMB) test estimates how many acquired mutations are present across a defined amount of tumor DNA, usually reported as mutations...

BRCA1 and BRCA2 Test for Breast Cancer: Hereditary Risk, Variant Meaning, and Family Risk

BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing explained: who should test, what positive, negative, and VUS results mean, hereditary breast cancer risk, and family testing.

A BRCA1 and BRCA2 test looks for inherited gene variants that can substantially raise the risk of breast, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and certain other...

Breast Cancer Biomarker Panel: ER, PR, HER2, Ki-67, Genomic Tests, and Tumor Profile

A breast cancer biomarker panel is not one universal blood test. It is the combined set of pathology and molecular tests used to describe...

Breast Cancer Gene Panel Test: BRCA, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, and Hereditary Risk

Breast cancer gene panel testing explained: BRCA1/2, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, positive and VUS results, hereditary risk, screening, and family testing.

A hereditary breast cancer gene panel tests several cancer-predisposition genes at the same time instead of looking only at BRCA1 and BRCA2. Common panels...

Breast Cancer Index Test: Late Recurrence Risk and Hormone Therapy Benefit Score

Breast Cancer Index explained: late distant-recurrence risk, BCI H/I High or Low results, extended hormone therapy benefit, limits, and next steps.

Breast Cancer Index (BCI) is a tumor gene-expression test used in selected hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative early breast cancers to refine two questions that become...

CA 15-3 Test for Breast Cancer: Tumor Marker Levels, Monitoring, and Recurrence

CA 15-3 breast cancer testing explained: reference range, high and normal results, serial trends, metastatic monitoring, recurrence limits, and follow-up guidance.

CA 15-3 is a blood tumor marker that measures a circulating form of the MUC1 protein, which can be released by breast cancer cells...

CA 27.29 Test for Breast Cancer: Tumor Marker Levels, Monitoring, and Recurrence

CA 27.29 breast cancer testing explained: reference range, high and normal results, serial trends, metastatic monitoring, recurrence limits, and follow-up guidance.

CA 27.29 is a blood tumor marker that measures a circulating form of the MUC1 protein, which can be released by breast cancer cells...

Circulating Tumor DNA Test for Breast Cancer: MRD, Recurrence, Mutation Detection, and Monitoring

Breast cancer ctDNA testing explained: MRD, recurrence risk, mutation detection, liquid biopsy, treatment selection, false negatives, and current monitoring guidance.

A circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test looks for fragments of DNA released by cancer cells into the bloodstream. In breast cancer, ctDNA has two...