Pathwork Diagnostics

Helping physicians in their efforts to choose tissue-specific therapy

Cancers are treated according to their primary site. Accurately classifying the site of a tumor’s origin – and thus knowing what kind of cancer the patient has – helps the doctor choose the best course of treatment for the patient. Patients in whom the primary cancer is diagnosed have been shown in a prospective study to have a longer survival compared to patients for whom there is no definitive diagnosis. An earlier diagnosis may also benefit cancer patients by enabling treatment to begin more quickly.

After a primary site is identified, patient management can proceed according to standard guidelines, such as the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines, for that specific type of cancer, rather than a generalized treatment approach. Today these treatments often involve a targeted therapeutic such as 5-FU/leucovorin with irinotecan or oxaliplatin for colon cancer; gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer; and epirubicin, cisplatin, and 5-FU or a taxane for gastroesophageal cancer.