Molecular pathology and patient care.

Laboratory testing focused on the genetic basis of disease has become an increasingly important part of the analysis of tissue specimens traditionally evaluated only by histopathologic examination. Molecular laboratory testing in surgical pathology is usually only discussed in the context of its role in diagnosis, but genetic techniques have attained an increasingly prominent role in testing to predict prognosis, to identify likelihood of response to various treatment options, to monitor for minimal residual disease, and to identify disease predispositions.