| Early detection of a primary tumor, metastases or minimal residual disease has a direct influence on the prognosis and the therapy of an individual cancer patient. Early detection of tumor cells in lymph nodes and bone marrow are important for sentinel lymph node procedures in breast carcinomas and in bone marrow staging. Immunohistochemistry with newly developed antibodies is used to make an earlier diagnosis of tumor cells in lymph nodes and bone marrow. Newly developed monoclonal antibodies are used to identify new histologic prognostic parameters and are correlated with corresponding functional assays resulting in better prognostication. These parameters include cell cycle parameters, growth factor receptors, apoptosis pathway proteins, angiogenesis factors, oncoproteins, signal transduction proteins and transcription factors and parameters of the reacting immune system. New drugs or biological agents interfering with the discovered proteins are under study. Examples are trail, glivec, anti-herceptin and anti-angiogenesis drugs. Microarray facilities support research with the aim to better characterise the various tumor types. Use of these microarrays will result in more accurate diagnosis with individual prognostication and therapy dedicated to the individual patient and the first results in breast carcinomas and lymphomas are confirming this view. In the PET center clinical studies have shown that with different tracers for different tumor types spectacular results can be obtained (lymphomas, head and neck tumors etc.). |
