October 2024
Discoveries, trends, and discussions in diagnostics
Welcome to the October issue of Diagnostics Dialogue, where you can get up to speed on the most important discoveries, trends, and discussions in medical diagnostics. Continue reading to learn more about:
1) Breast Cancer Awareness Month
2) Cancer care starts in primary care
3) Utilizing multiple biomarkers to assess risk of cognitive decline
4) Understanding alternative markers for earlier RA diagnoses
5) Managing food allergies during the holidays
6) Enabling faster treatment with respiratory molecular combination testing
7) Improving access to care of genital tract infections with patient self-collection
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
Breast Cancer Awareness Month |
Screening can help identify risk earlier
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we join healthcare providers and leading organizations in highlighting the importance of educating women and men on what they can do to be proactive with their breast health.
Breast cancer mortality rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 42% through 2021. This decrease is believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments.1
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Better outcomes |
Better outcomes |
Cancer care starts in primary care
Primary care providers have a pivotal role in early screening for cancers such as breast cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women in the US.2 While less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men,3 it is estimated that about 2,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2024.4
Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early—when it is easier to treat successfully. Primary care providers are in the ideal position to offer early screening to help identify risk.
Quest offers a comprehensive portfolio of hereditary tests, including the BRCA Panel Plus and Hereditary Breast Cancer Panel, that test for genes predominantly associated with breast cancer risk, including BRCA1 and BRCA2.
Utilizing multiple biomarkers to assess risk of cognitive decline5,6
Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, such as amyloid beta (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), may be increasing for years while cognitive impairment is not yet significant enough to be observed through clinical assessment tools such as mini-mental state examinations (MMSE) or other cognitive assessment questionnaires.
Blood-based beta-amyloid biomarker testing offers a promising pathway to a better understanding of risk for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.7
Our comprehensive Quest AD-Detect™ portfolio includes minimally invasive, blood-based biomarker testing including plasma Aβ42/40 ratio, and p-tau to help guide care decisions.
Understanding alternative markers for earlier RA diagnoses
Approximately 1.3 million adults suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the US.8 Most commonly known for its effect on the joints, RA also increases the chance of heart attack or stroke.9
James D. Faix, MD, Medical Director of Immunology at Quest Diagnostics, hosted a webinar to offer his insights on the importance of alternative markers to enhance diagnostic sensitivity in RA and review the advantages of testing for mutated citrullinated vimentin (MCV) antibody.
Our full suite of testing can help diagnose RA early to help mitigate joint damage and RA’s effect on the
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Better experiences |
Better experiences |
Managing food allergies during the holidays
With the holidays right around the corner, allergy testing is an important tool to help patients know which foods to avoid and which are safe.
There are a number of food allergen tests that can help you differentiate sensitization from a true food allergy. But the story can be complicated as symptoms of food and respiratory allergies may overlap. The first step can be to determine if your patient has a food or a respiratory allergy.
Solutions like ImmunoCAP™ IgE reflex panels test for the most common environmental and food allergens, while automatically reflexing to available component testing to simplify your approach to allergy care.
ImmunoCAP allergen component testing measures specific IgE to provide an objective assessment of your patient's sensitization to specific proteins and the risk of an allergic reaction to peanuts, tree nuts (Brazil nut, hazelnut, walnut, cashew), egg white, and cow’s milk.
Enabling faster treatment with respiratory molecular combination testing
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), influenza A or B (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory infections can present with similar symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. That’s why it’s important to consider testing for each of these contagious illnesses at the same time—especially when RSV is suspected in high-risk patient populations.
Our COVID-19 and respiratory molecular combination tests are convenient and efficient, using a single specimen to test for common respiratory pathogens.
- Distinguish between COVID-19, influenza A and B, RSV, and other respiratory pathogens with just 1 swab
- Eliminate the need for multiple tests or patient visits—helping to speed up the time to a diagnosis
- Help you determine the appropriate care pathway for your patients
Our comprehensive portfolio of combination testing options supports a faster diagnosis to help you develop an appropriate care plan.
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Removing traditional barriers to testing |
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Removing traditional barriers to testing |
Removing traditional barriers to testing |
Improving access to care of genital tract infections with patient self-collection
Vaginitis and similar genital tract infections (GTI) can lead to serious, long-term health issues. Left untreated, GTIs can lead to:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease and chronic pelvic pain
- Problems in pregnancy (eg, spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery)
- Higher risk of contracting HIV
You can now offer patients the option of self-collected testing. Aptima® multitest vaginal swabs have been cleared by the FDA for genital tract infections. Self-collection is now an option at our Patient Service Centers (PSCs) or at your office.
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Convenient for patients. Easily send orders to nearby PSCs through Quanum®, your practice’s EHR, or via manual/printed patient orders. |
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Simple processes. No separate test codes needed and a step-by-step collection guide helps patients correctly collect their own sample. |
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Reliable quality. Vaginal self-collection provides a similar quality of sample as a healthcare professional would collect.12 And when patients self-collect, results can be ready upon the patient's follow-up visit.* |
*Consult your account representative about average time to results for your practice.
Achieving the Quadruple Aim in your practice
Our purpose is to support you and your patients with leading services, patient experiences, and innovative testing that can help you provide clarity to the constant changes and challenges we’re seeing in healthcare today.
About Diagnostics Dialogue
In our conversations with providers across the country, we hear that you are facing many different constraints that make delivering care challenging. We’re here to help you navigate the uncertainty and deliver better health. With a broad test menu spanning 3,500+ tests and consultations from our medical staff of over 700 MDs and PhDs, we empower healthcare providers to create healthier communities, one patient at a time.
Read past issues of Diagnostics Dialogue and learn what we’re doing every day to improve outcomes and accessibility to care for patients.
References
- American Cancer Society. Key statistics for breast cancer. Updated January 17, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
- CDC. Breast cancer statistics. June 13, 2024. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/statistics/index.html
- Breastcancer.org. Male breast cancer. Updated July 30, 2024. Accessed September 4, 2024. https://www.breastcancer.org/types/male-breast-cancer
- American Cancer Society. Key statistics for breast cancer in men. Updated January 19, 2024. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html
- Lantero Rodriguez J, Karikari TK, Suárez-Calvet M, et al. Plasma p-tau181 accurately predicts Alzheimer’s disease pathology at least 8 years prior to postmortem and improves the clinical characterisation of cognitive decline. Acta Neuropathol. 2020;140(3):267-278. doi:10.1007/s00401-020-02195-x
- Brickman AM, Manly JJ, Honig LS, et al. Plasma p-tau181, p-tau217, and other blood-based Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in a multi-ethnic, community study. Alzheimers Dement. 2021;17(8):1353-1364. doi:10.1002/alz.12301
- Hampel H, Hu Y, Cummings J, et al. Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease: Current state and future use in a transformed global healthcare landscape. Neuron. 2023;111(18):2781-2799. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2023.05.017
- Xu Y, Wu Q. Prevalence trend and disparities in rheumatoid arthritis among US adults, 2005-2018. J Clin Med. 2021;10(15):3289. doi:10.3390/jcm10153289
- Healthline. Rheumatoid arthritis by the numbers: Facts, statistics, and you. Updated July 21, 2021. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.healthline.com/health/rheumatoid-arthritis/facts-statistics-infographic
- CDC. Diagnosed allergic conditions in adults: United States, 2021. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db460.htm
- CDC. Diagnosed allergic conditions in children aged 0–17 Years: United States, 2021. Accessed August 14, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db459.htm
- Ogale YP, Grabowski MK, NabakkaP, et al. The acceptability of self-collected samples for STI testing: a qualitative study among adults in Rakai, Uganda. BMJ Open. 2023;13(11):e073241. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073241
Image content features models and is intended for illustrative purposes only.